All is NOT Fair in Love and War
by Roxi Malfoy
Summary: Will Draco ever change his ways? Can he live without all of his money? Will he ever figure out what Love is? …And, could Lucious Malfoy actually have a heart? Find out the answers to all these questions & more in my Novel; All is NOT Fair in Love & War.
1. Draco's Intro: It's MY Story!

"**All is fair in Love and War" that's what they say, isn't it? Well I for one would like to meet the moron who came up with that statement, that way I could slap him in the face! How stupid to think that **_**anything **_**could be fair in a war, especially love. If I' have learned **_**anything **_**throughout my experiences thus far, it is that **_**nothing **_**is fair in love and war. We have been at war here since before I was even born, which was 20 years ago. But **_**I**_** have only been actively involved with the war for the past 3 years, or so I thought… **

**My father is very well-known. He's a wealthy man who seems to have all the right friends in all of the right places, as he likes to say. He was even well connected with the Minister of Magic himself once, but that was then. Sometimes it can be a good thing, having a rich and powerful father. But most of the time, it is torture. People always say; "that Draco Malfoy, he is **_**so much **_**like his father." They all seem to think that I **_**am **_**my father, but I however disagree. Sure I may look like him, sound like him, talk like him and even act like him at times, but I am **_**not **_**my father! My whole life I have been **_**forced**_** to be like him, but all I've ever wanted is to just be myself! **_**Why**_** can't people see that? Everyone knows who Lucious Malfoy is, but they do not **_**know **_**him. No one **_**really **_**knows what goes on at the Malfoy Manor when the all the curtains are drawn and the doors are locked. My father may seem to be a very hospitable man, but it is only a charade. For, if people knew how I was being treated at home, they might begin to question his intentions. You see, my father has always had these very strict, very odd rules that some may find questionable. I myself have found a few of them to be a bit too **_**evil**_** for my liking. Even my own mother didn't agree with the way father raised me half of the time. I never questioned why though. I was too scared to do it. It was instilled into my brain at a very young age to listen and obey. **_**Never **_**ask questions, or else. That was rule 1. So, even though I've always longed for an explanation, I never once dared to ask…**

**You see, I have always wondered why father was so nice out in public, but so evil at home. Why he was always so mysterious and secretive. He and mother used to have fights all the time over how I was to be raised. Mom always thought that dad was being too hard on me, whereas father didn't believe that he was being hard enough. To me, it seemed he was frightened that I would fail at something important. I think that's why I've always been so compelled to be the best at everything I do. I just want to show my father that I am **_**not**_** a failure. All I have ever wanted is his approval, just to hear him say that he is proud of me for something, **_**anything**_**! But no matter how well I did or how much I tried, he **_**never**_** was. He didn't congratulate or reward me for doing my best. Instead, he liked to point out all of my flaws and tell me what I did wrong. So I never felt good enough for him… never felt **_**loved**_** by him. Most of the time, I hate myself for being such a failure. Because if I wasn't a failure, maybe **_**then**_** father would love me. Maybe then he would be proud of me… **

**My parents first met at Hogwarts. They were both in Slytherin house, as was I. They've always both been extremely fascinated by the dark arts, so therefore I was raised to fancy them as well. I never once thought that the way they believed, the way **_**I **_**believed, was wrong. I grew up thinking that muggles were just a bunch of useless fools. A **_**waste**__**of**__**space**_**, that is what father called them. And all muggle-born wizards, or **_**mudbloods, **_**they****should have never be given a wand in the first place! They tarnish the name of wizard. That is what I have been taught. And, when I was little, my parents used to tell me wonderful stories about this great wizard that they once knew. He was a man who had this dream of getting rid of all the mudbloods for good and cleansing the entire wizarding race! My father seemed to love this man, whomever he was. They say that he was the most powerful wizard of all time, and that my father was his right-hand-man! His name is a name that I have known well from a young age on… his name is Voldemort. My father always insisted that Voldemort was still alive, and would one day return to us. My mother however believed him to be dead. But anytime I asked where he was, they both just told me that he was away on vacation and that no one knew when he was coming back. Although Voldemort wasn't around for the majority of my childhood, he certainly seemed to be a BIG part of it. Everything my father did was centered on or around Voldemort, in one way or another. It was always rather difficult for me to go to school and hear people talking about Voldemort like he was the **_**bad**_**-**_**guy**_**. Because I grew up always believing that he was the good-guy. For the most part, I was always taught **_**his**_** principals, **_**his**_** beliefs, and **_**his **_**secrets. I never knew that the way Voldemort believed was wrong. To me, it was everyone else who had it all wrong… **

**As far as **_**true**__**love **_**goes, I believe that it's the sort of thing that only exists in fairytales. I know that my parents both **_**love**_** me, and they love each other. We just don't go around saying it all the time like everybody else does, and we never have. It just isn't the Malfoy way of doing things. However, my mother **_**did**_** tell me that she loved me, quite a few times actually. But **_**never **_**in front of father. And I cannot recall a time when my father actually told me he loved me, for I don't believe he ever has spoken those three words to me. I do remember this one time though that I told him I loved him. He just gave me a dirty look and said, "You should never allow people to see your **_**true**_** feelings like that, Draco. It's only a sign of weakness! And don't you dare start going soft on me now son. I **_**never**_** want to hear those words come out if your mouth again, do I make myself clear?" and he had been perfectly clear… But it only left me to wonder, what is love? What makes it so great anyways? Why is it so special? And, if love really does exist, then why doesn't it exist for me? Is it fair that I should have to grow up in an environment where the mere mentioning of love is strictly forbidden? No, it isn't****fair at all! And to think, I never even knew what real, unconditional love looked****like, or even felt like.****Not until **_**she**_** came along that is... **

**Now, for those of you who are wondering, the answer is No. No, this is **_**not **_**going to be another story all about Harry freakin' Potter. If you want to read about **_**him **_**then go find another book! Merlin knows there are **_**plenty**_** of books out there about him! Potter could open his own personal library if he wanted to, and that's the problem with this world! There are way too many books out there about Harry, and not enough books about the people who were around to help him out along the way. Harry had a ton of help during this war from several different people, I being one of them. But for whatever reason though, the press just looks past all the rest us in the Order and focuses on solely on him! Give the boy a break for a change! Don't you think he deserves it? Granit, this story does mention Harry some, but it is not about him. It is about me, Draco Malfoy. I have found that I am still a very misunderstood person within the ministry. Therefore, I am having my side if the story written and published in hopes that those of you out there who still may hate the name of Malfoy, can get a glimpse into who I really am. The only thing we can't pick in this world is our family, and I just so happen to have one of the world's worst, most evil and dark, hated families out there. But is that **_**my **_**fault? Of coarse not! But people still blame me for it though! So why don't all of you just shut-up for a change and listen to what **_**I**_** have to say! I am a person too, and I have feelings just like you do! **

_**This is my story… **_


	2. Prolouge: Unto us A Child is Born

**~Prologue: Unto us A Child is Born~**

"Narcissa, are you _sure _you read that test right?"

"Yes, of coarse I'm sure! I haven't had a period for three months! It's a _positive _Lucious, there's no mistake about that."

"You know what we have to do now, don't you?"

"We don't _have _to tell him, do we?"

"Of coarse we do 'Cissa! Are you crazy?"

"I could run away…"

"He'd find you."

"What if I faked my own death, and _then_ ran away?"

"He'd know."

"How?"

"Let's just say that I am _not_ as skilled at Occlumency as Severus is. All he would have to do is look into my eyes one time and he would know the truth."

"I'm too scared to tell him though. Cant we just keep this between the two of us?" "That is _not_ a very good idea, Narcissa. You just don't keep secrets from him, it isn't wise. And besides, it will be more than obvious to tell, once you start to show. Eventually, _everyone _is going to know anyways."

"But Lucious, if we tell him, he might try to kill the baby!"

"I guess that's what happens when you don't follow the rules. We disobeyed orders Narcissa and now, we have to deal with the consequences."

"How can you say that? It was a complete accident, Luc'! We were on our honeymoon, we did nothing wrong! Neither of us _planned_ for it to break…"

"Yeah well, good luck convincing _him _that that is what really happened. We asked before we even left if we could bear a child and he strictly said _No_. Now all of a sudden, 3½ months later, you're pregnant! He won't care how careful we were, accident or not. All he'll care about is the fact that you got pregnant after he said no."

"But I _want_ to keep this baby!"

"So do I, more than anything! But I do not think that he will allow it…"

"… I'm scared Lucious."

"So am I Narcissa, so am I." The two of them were silent for a moment. Then Lucious sighed and said softly, "I will go and tell him."

"Right now?"

"Yes. There is no need to delay it any more. The longer we wait, the angrier he will be. He's probably not even going to believe that we just found out ourselves. I'll bet he says that we've known all along, and that we've been hiding it from him for the past 3 months."

Narcissa sighed. "Just be careful then."

Lucious nodded and walked out of the room. Tonight, he and Narcissa were spending the night in their assigned room at the Riddle House. He suddenly wished that they had just stayed at home as he walked up the stairs and headed towards the Dark Lord's room. He knocked lightly on the door, hoping that by some small chance Voldemort hadn't heard him. He did however and, upon command, Lucious stated his name and the door opened seemingly of its own accord. He stepped inside and the door immediately shut behind him. It latched, trapping him in the room with Lord Voldemort.

"Can I help you, Lucious?" He asked in his cold voice.

"I-I have something to tell you my Lord," he stammered.

Voldemort stared Lucious directly in the eyes. "You have my attention, Lucious. This had better be worth my time," he threatened.

"It is about my wife," he began. "When we were on our honeymoon, we had a bit of an accident."

"What _kind _of accident, Lucious?" Voldemort growled.

"Well sir, it broke and, well, now Narcissa is… is.

"IS _WHAT_?" Voldemort had already suspected what was coming next. But he still wanted to hear it from Lucious himself.

"Is _expecting," _Lucious muttered softly. "She's pregnant sir."

"How far along is she?" he asked with forced calmness.

"We have estimated it to be about 3½ months, sir," Lucious reluctantly answered.

"Didn't I tell you both NO?" he suddenly raged. "I did _not _give the two of you permission to have a baby! Why did you even ask me in the first place? It's not like you listened to a damn thing I said anyways!"

"It was a total accident, my Lord. Completely unexpected! We only just found out today, I swear!"

"This is an abomination! I _never _should have allowed you two to even get married!" The Dark lord glared at Lucious. "You will pay for your disobedience." With that, he swept out of the room. Lucious rushed after him.

Voldemort hurried down the hallway. When he approached Lucious and Narcissa's assigned room, he flung open the bedroom door and let himself in. Lucious followed him into the room and went over to stand next to his wife. Narcissa had been perched at the end of the bed in anticipation. When she seen Voldemort come in, she immediately stood up and bowed down to him.

"Get up," he spat. She stood straight up, stock still and waited. It was a while before he spoke again for he enjoyed the absolute power he had over Mr. & Mrs. Malfoy in this moment. The two of them stood there, holding their breath, waiting for him to speak. "Your loving husband has just informed me of something," he said at last. "I hope the two of you both know that I cannot allow you to keep this _thing. _It would be unfair to bend the rules for you, especially after you deliberately disobeyed my orders!"

"It was _not_ deliberate, my Lord" Narcissa corrected. "We weren't even trying to-"

"-It doesn't matter," he said, cutting her off. "Arguing with me will do neither of you any good! You can't keep it. End of discussion."

"She's already knocked-up though, so what are you going to do about it?" Lucious asked recklessly. "It can't be stopped now!"

A dark smile twisted onto Voldemort's face. "You're correct Lucious, I cannot stop it now, not unless I just killed _her_." He gave Narcissa a threatening look. "But what would be the fun in that?" he asked sarcastically. "Now, I have been told that natural child birth is one of the most painful experiences a woman will ever go through. Therefore, as punishment Narcissa, you will have to bear this child for the next six months and have it naturally, _without_ the aide of pain-killers. And I promise you both, I will be there when that day comes, and as soon as that thing is born, I will kill it! Then afterwards, I will be sure to _fix_ it so that we never have this little problem ever again."

"NO!" Narcissa screamed. "I beg of you sir, _please _don't take my baby away from me. I'll do anything," she pleaded.

"My decision is final!" Voldemort said in a rumbling voice. "Continue to defy me, and I will kill both you _and_ the baby right here, right now! What's it going to be?"

Lucious couldn't bear the thought of loosing his wife. He submitted at once, bowing to the Dark Lord. "I am sorry for defying your wishes master," he said. "It will never happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't." Voldemort stated. Then he turned to face Narcissa expectantly.

"Yes, I too am sorry my Lord," she said at last, bowing in submission alongside her husband. "Please forgive me for disobeying your orders. I deserve whatever punishment you see fit to give."

"I knew you'd see it my way," he said triumphantly. Pleased with himself, he stalked out of the room.

~ * ~

Over the coarse of the next six months, Narcissa tried several times to force herself to have a miscarriage. She simply refused to allow Voldemort to have the satisfaction of harming her baby. However, destiny it seemed was not on their side, for each time she tried, she was unsuccessful. Finally, the inevitable day arrived. The date was June 10th and it was 1:oo in the morning. There were 5 people present in the room when the baby was born. Narcissa Malfoy, her sister; Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband; Lucious Malfoy, his best friend; Severus Snape, and the Dark Lord; Voldemort.

Narcissa was sprawled out on a bed in one corner of a room in their mansion. Bella was next to her, holding her hand. Voldemort sat at the foot of the bed, waiting to grab the baby as soon as it was delivered. In the opposite corner of the room, Severus was doing his best to keep ahold of Lucious, for Lucious was doing _his_ best to charge at the Dark Lord.

Narcissa was fighting the contractions, in a feeble attempt to stop the baby from coming. Instead of pushing, as she should have done every time her body contracted, she squeezed in to stop the baby from coming out. She simply refused to deliver her child with Voldemort in the room.

"Take as long as you'd like," he said in a mocking tone. "I'm not going anywhere!" Narcissa glared down at him, then screamed in pain as she fought off another contraction.

"Cissy' you _can't_ keep doing this to yourself" Bella urged as her sister squeezed her hand again. "You're going to hurt the baby."

" And what do you think _he's _going to do as soon as the baby is born, Bella?" she cried.

"I just wish you'd quit hurting yourself like this! Your body can't handle the trauma. Just get it over with already!"

"That's easy for _you _to say!"

Across the room, a different scene was taking place. Every time Narcissa screamed in pain, Lucious would lung forward in an attempt to bring physical harm to Voldemort. And every time he did so, Severus would grab ahold of him, forcing him to a stop.

"Lucious, restrain yourself!" he commanded, again.

"Let go of me Severus, let me at him! I want to kill him! I _will_ kill him if he touches her!"

"Would you listen to yourself Luc'? This is the _Dark_ _Lord_ we're talking about! If you attack him, he will be the one killing you!" Narcissa's screams filled the room again, drowning out Snape's warning.

Lucious it seemed was loosing his mind, unraveling at the seams each time she screamed. "I _can't_ just sit here and watch this, Severus" he said helplessly. "I have to do something!"

"There is nothing you _can _do, Lucious. The Dark Lord will win, he _always_ wins!" Lucious fell to his knees, staring at the floor. Severus loosened his grip on him.

Despite all of Narcissa best efforts, the baby was finally born. Voldemort grabbed it and separated it from the umbilical cord. When Lucious looked up again, his eyes instantly focused on the infant in Voldemort's cold hands. Severus made no move whatsoever to stop Lucious from attacking, for his eyes were focused on the same thing. But as it was, Lucious was frozen to the spot, terror weighing down on him. Time seemed to stand still as Voldemort clutched the little baby in his arms. Finally, the baby cried and Narcissa instinctively reached out for her child, but the Dark Lord walked away from her. This time, it was Bella's turn to hold her sister back, as Narcissa attempted to get up and go after Voldemort. Although she despised herself for doing so, Bellatrix knew her sister well enough to know that Narcissa would fight to the death for that child if it came down to it, and it was a fight that she would not be able to win. Therefore Bellatrix did what she had to do in order to prevent a fight from breaking out.

Voldemort cradled the new little Malfoy, examining it. "Congratulations, it's a boy," he announced with deadly venom in his tone.

A cry escaped Lucious as the gender of the child was revealed. Narcissa gasped helplessly. Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for what would happen next. But Voldemort it seemed was transfixed by the child in his hands. He had never held a baby before. He curiously gazed at the little boy, never once did he take his eyes off of the baby. "How little… How weak... How defenseless…" he mused to himself. "How _easy_ it will be to snuff the life right out of it. But how should I go about killing you?"

"Please no," Narcissa begged. "Don't do it my Lord. I'll do anything!"

"DON'T interrupt me while I'm thinking! You knew this would happen Narcissa! This day was inevitable! If you wanted a baby that bad, then you would have waited until I gave you permission to have one! Instead, you deliberately disobeyed me and got pregnant after I told you not to! Now there will be consequences for your disobedience!"

Narcissa buried her face in her hands. It _wasn't _deliberate, she knew that. But Voldemort wouldn't listen so there was no point in arguing with him. She knew there was nothing she could do now to save her son.

"Now we all know what happens to an adult after being exposed to the _Cruciatus Curse _for far too long," Voldemort mused. "However, I wonder what would happen if itwere performed on an infant." The same sickly twisted, satisfied smile spread across his face again as he withdrew his wand and placed the tip of it to the baby's head.

"NO!" In a flash, Lucious was on his feet. He ran over and, throwing caution to the wind, he grabbed Voldemort's arm. Everyone in the room gasped as Lucious took hold of the Dark Lord. _No one_ was ever permitted to touch Voldemort. That was against the rules, but Lucious didn't care anymore about the rules."_Please_ _no_," he begged. "I can't let you do this! Please, isn't there another alternative?"

Voldemort shrugged him off and instead took aim at Lucious. "_Crucio,_" he yelled. Lucious screamed and fell to the floor, wreathing in pain. "How's this for an alternative?" Voldemort spat. Lucious was on the verge of loosing his mind when the pain abruptly stopped.

But he knew he couldn't give in that easily. Lucious slowly got back to his feet, wobbling slightly, and looked the Dark Lord in the eyes. "_Please_," he pleaded. "If you want this child, then he is yours to have. I would willingly give him to you! Just please_, _don't kill him!"

"Tell me Lucious, what would _I _want with a baby? I have no use for it!"

"Well, you can't have on for yourself now can you? Don't you want someone to share all of your secrets with?"

"No because I do not plan to die. In case you have forgotten, I am going to live forever! Therefore I don't need someone to pass my secrets down to!"

"That's very true," Lucious agreed. "But you can't honestly expect all of us Death Eaters to live forever. We are not immortal like you are, sir."

"That is because I don't need you to be!"

"Well don't you think you'll be a tad bit lonely, once we are all gone? I for one would think that ruling the world alone would loose its appeal if there was no one there to share it with," he stated. "But if you have someone to pass your secrets along to; an apprentice, a son of your own, you will never have to be alone. You can teach this child to become immortal, as you have done. Then one day, the two of you could rule together. If he gets to be as good as you are my Lord, together you two would be unstoppable!" Lucious was trying his best to sound convincing. He knew this was a long-shot, but he _had_ to get Voldemort to buy into it. It was the only chance he had to save his newborn son.

Narcissa wanted to object but she couldn't find the strength to speak. Voldemort's face was unreadable as he considered all of what Lucious had said. "You stress a very good point Lucious," he spoke at last. "I however have no desire to care for a whinny, poopy, drooly little brat! I have not the time nor the patience for it."

Narcissa finally found her voice. "Then let me do it for you," she spoke, her voice cracking slightly.

Voldemort looked into her pleading eyes, then looked into Lucious' anxious ones. "Alright fine," he said at last, giving in. "But there is one condition though."

"Name it," Lucious said, clearly pleased with himself.

"I will allow the two of you to take care of your son so long as you swear to raise him in the ways of the Death Eater. Instill our beliefs into this child's mind, teach him our laws. Then when he becomes of age, you both must swear that he will belong entirely to me! Will you really be willing to surrender him over to me the day he becomes a man?"

"Yes I will," Lucious stated at once.

"Then you will have no problem making an unbreakable vow with me then, will you Lucious?"

"No sir, no problem at all," he muttered. And there it was: the trap he hadn't been prepared for. And now he was caught. If he wanted the baby to live, then he _had_ to make this promise with Voldemort. There was no other way around it.

"Then Narcissa here will have no problem consenting to be our witness."

"Shouldn't she be included in the vows?" Lucious asked.

"Oh no, Lucious," Voldemort smiled. "I am placing _you_ entirely responsible for the raising of this child. If you don't teach him properly, then _you_ will suffer the consequences!"

Narcissa silently agreed with a nod to be their witness. Lucious and Voldemort stood by the bed next to her and clasped hands. She placed her wand on top of their joined fists.

Then Voldemort spoke the vows. "Lucious Malfoy, do you so swear to raise this boy in all of the ways of the Death Eater? Do you promise to teach him all that Voldemort has taught you? Will you ensure that he is prepared to become a Death Eater by the day of his 17th birthday?"

Lucious took a deep breath and said, "I so swear." A strand of magic flowed out of the tip of Narcissa's wand and entwined itself around he and the Dark Lord's fingers, binding them together. Lucious choose his next few words with care. "Lord Voldemort, do you so swear to let my wife and I raise this boy as our own son, so long as we follow the previous guidelines, until the day he becomes a man? Do you promise to let us give him a name, a place to live, food to eat and the ability to send him to school wherever we see fit?"

"I so swear," said the Dark Lord.

A few moments later, the light that was binding their hands disappeared and Lucious was released from Voldemort's grip. Voldemort then bent down and picked up the whimpering baby. He turned to Lucious and asked; "What is his name?"

Lucious did not know what to say, so he turned to his wife. Neither of them had held on to the hope of keeping the child long enough to even consider what they would name it.

"_You_ name him Lucious, he's your only heir. Therefore, it is only fitting that _you_ be the one to give him a proper name."

Lucious thought for a moment. He _did_ have a name in mind but he wanted to discuss it with his wife first. He turned to her, "I was thinking on the name Draco," he said.

Narcissa smiled. "I love it," she said. "It's perfect!"

Lucious turned back to Voldemort. "Draco Malfoy it is then."

Voldemort too appeared to be pleased with the name. "Now to finalize our little agreement," he said, flashing his sick smile. "Allow me to give this child a welcoming gift. Draco's wrist is entirely too small for this right now," he explained. "So his arm will just have to work." He then pressed his wand to the baby's upper right arm, a spark emanated from the tip and he withdrew. There, where the wand tip had been pressed, a small, solid, black Dark Mark shined on the baby's skin. Baby Draco cried in pain.

Narcissa gasped in terror. "He's just a baby! _How could you?" _sheyelled_. _

Lucious was just as shocked and appalled as she was. "This was _not _part of our agreement! He wasn't supposed to get the Mark until he turns 17!"

"No," Voldemort corrected. "He passes into _my_ custody once he turns 17, but he will _always _be a Death Eater! Why else would I have you raising him as such? Just consider this as a friendly little reminder to you of our deal, Lucious. This way I know you will never ever forget how you are supposed to be raising _our_ little Draco."

The emphasis Voldemort had put on the word _our _sickened Lucious almost as much as seeing the Dark Mark forced onto the newborn baby's skin. Lucious shook his head in disbelief. The reality of what he had just done to his firstborn child came crashing down on him. "You mean, he will never have a choice in the matter?" he asked.

"Never," Voldemort finalized. "And when he is old enough to understand _that_ little detail Lucious, _he_ _will_ _hate_ _you_ _for_ _it_. You wanted him to live _so_ _badly_ that you forced this lifestyle upon him. If you thought that Draco needed to have a say in the matter, then you should have never made that unbreakable vow with me. For now, if you do not _force_ Draco to learn how to be a great Death Eater, then I am afraid you will die Lucious! Such are the conditions of our little agreement."

Lucious was distraught. How could he have not seen this coming? How could he inflict this horrible life onto his only son?

Voldemort seemed absolutely thrilled at Lucious' reaction to his shocking revolution. He laughed wickedly. The sound of his evil, hysteric laughter filled the room and Draco began crying even louder. The sound repulsed the Dark Lord. "Here," he said, shoving him into Narcissa's arms. "Take it before I decide to change my mind!"

Narcissa took her baby and pressed him against her breast, clinging to him for dear life. Voldemort shot one last disapproving look at the pair of them, then he left the room.

For the longest time, the only thing that stirred in the room was the baby, who hadn't stopped crying since Voldemort's atrocious act. Narcissa was cradling him in her arms, rocking him back & forth in an attempt to quiet him down. "Shhh… shhh," she whispered.

Lucious walked over to his wife, hesitant. Now that they were alone, he wasn't sure how she would respond to what he had just done, but he wanted to hold his son. "May I?" he asked quietly, reaching out for the baby.

Narcissa pulled Draco in closer, leaning over him protectively. "I'm never letting him go!"

"Honestly Narcissa, are you planning to hang onto him for the next 17 years? I really would like to hold him!" Narcissa shot her husband a dirty look in response. "I'll just take that as a no then," he muttered. Then he added reproachfully, "How is he?"

"I'm not sure yet, Luc'. I can't get him to stop crying long enough to tell much of anything!"

"I remember when Voldemort burned the Dark Mark into my skin, how badly it stung" Snape offered. "I can't even imagine how that little baby must feel."

"Yes," Bellatrix agreed. "What the Dark Lord just did was horrible."

"What _I _just did was even worse though," said Lucious.

Narcissa shook her head. "No Lucious, what you just did was incredible! You saved our son. You gave him a chance to live."

"I gave him a chance yes, but I did not give him a _choice! _Fornow I have no choice but to force Draco become a Death Eater, weather he wants be one or not. What Voldemort said was right, one day he _will_ hate me for this!"

"I don't care what you say, if it weren't for you, Draco would be dead right now."

"Yeah, and it weren't for Severus, so would I" Lucious laughed.

"Oh, you should have seen him Narcissa," said Snape. "Lucious was raging like a mad-man, trying to attack the Dark Lord!"

Lucious blushed. "All I wanted to do was protect you and the baby. I couldn't focus on anything else at the time. Every time I heard you scream, my anger grew that much more. I am sorry if I hurt you Severus."

"I'm alright, really" he assured.

Narcissa then turned to Bellatrix. "And I don't know what I would have done without you by my side throughout all of this, 'Trix. Thank you for being there for me."

"It's nothing 'Cissy, really."

Lucious and Narcissa both seemed to be thinking in the same direction, for in that moment, Lucious asked Severus to be Draco's God-Father and Narcissa asked Bellatrix to be Draco's God-Mother. The two of them both agreed without hesitation.

"It would be my pleasure, sis" said Bellatrix.

"And it would be my honor, Luc" said Severus.

Then Draco's crying finally began to subside. Narcissa continued rocking the baby, doing whatever she could to calm him down. She noticed how cold his body temperature was and gasped as a startling realization washed over her.

"What's wrong Cissa'? Are you okay?" Bellatrix asked, concerned.

"He's so cold," she stated. "And I've only just realized that we have no baby blankets to wrap him up with and no clothes to pit him in. I don't even have diapers yet!"

"You mean to tell me that you knew you were going to have a baby and you didn't go out and buy _anything?" _Bellatrix was shocked. She had never known her sister, as organized as she was, to be unprepared for anything. It was so unlike her.

"Well we weren't planning on being allowed to keep him, sis" Narcissa said. She wrapped Draco up in her own cloak, drawing him closer to her.

"Narcissa and I both agreed that buying baby stuff would mean holding on to a false hope," Lucious explained. "And neither of us were prepared to get our hopes up, only to have them crushed when Voldemort killed the baby. We just couldn't do it."

"Well that is understandable, but Cissy," said Bellatrix. "Someone is going to have to go out now and get Draco some baby supplies. Do you want me to do go?"

"No Bella," Narcissa said forcefully. "I cannot risk you being caught on my account. The ministry is already _very _clear as to who's side you stand on in this war."

"And they suspect you too, Severus." Lucious said before Snape could even ask. "I will go. Cornelius and I are still on decent enough terms, so I shouldn't have any problems going out in public."

Narcissa looked into the eyes of her husband. "Be careful Lucious," she said pleadingly. "I couldn't bear it if you were to get sent away, not now."

"Don't worry Narcissa," he encouraged. "I'll be fine. You know that I can talk my way out of _anything _if I need to! I'll just be sure to keep a low profile while I'm out. Don't worry, I've got this."

Then Lucious left the room and Severus followed him out in order to give the ladies some privacy. Bellatrix stayed to help make her sister as comfortable as she possibly could. Narcissa refused to let go of the baby the entire time Bella assisted her in changing the bed linens and getting herself cleaned up. She helped Narcissa back into the bed and together, they waited. An hour later, Lucious returned with a bag full of baby clothes, blankets, bottles, diapers and wipes. Narcissa still refused to let Lucious touch the child as she dressed him and wrapped him up in one of the little blankets. Severus came back into the room and traded places with Bellatrix. He promised the Malfoy's that he would stand watch while they got caught up on some much needed rest.

As they lay in bed together, baby Draco cooed. Narcissa looked down at him and smiled. She looked back up at her husband, "Would you like to hold him now Lucious?" she asked timidly.

Lucious raised an eyebrow at her. "You mean, you're seriously going to let go of him long enough to allow that?"

They both chuckled. "Yes. I guess I can let go of him long enough to give his daddy a chance to hold him. After all, I know that he is in good hands."

Lucious swallowed past the lump in his throat. "I've been wondering about something; did I frighten you earlier? I just have to say that I am so sorry about the whole unbreakable vow thing. I never expected him to resort to that. It was not part of the plan, Narcissa. But once he'd brought it up, how could I possibly say no? He had me trapped!"

"I know that Lucious, and you didn't frighten me. I don't blame you for what happened earlier, you know that! I'm just so thankful that you found a way to save him. I thought you were brilliant!"

"Brilliant?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Clearly she did not fully grasp the concept. "Am I the only one around here who realizes what that so-called act of brilliance means? It means that I have to force Draco to practice this lifestyle. I made the decision to become a Death Eaters along time ago, and you made the choice to marry-in to this lifestyle. You may not be a marked Death Eater, but your still one of _his. _And joining him is a choice that we both have come to regret, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, Draco will never get to make the choice like you an I did, 'Cissa. He _has_ to be a Death Eater now, no matter what. And if he isn't ready on the day he becomes a man, Voldemort will eat him alive! If he fails in the slightest, the Dark Lord will surely kill him on the spot! Draco will never have a choice in the matter, and he will never be allowed to fail at anything, ever. If he isn't 100% perfect, if the Dark Lord is dissatisfied with him even in the slightest, do you know what that will mean for our son? Automatic termination! We did our best to protect him tonight, but I fear what the future may bring."

"Well then, if that is the case, then we must love him more and more everyday. We have to treat each day with our son as a gift, and live as if it may be the last day we'll get. You did the right thing tonight Lucious. You gave him a fighting chance! Now would you like to hold him or not?"

Lucious smiled at her enthusiasm. "Of course I would!"

"It's time to meet your daddy Draco," she said, placing the baby into Lucious' arms.

Lucious gasped as the little boy looked into his eyes and smiled. An unexplainable peace settled over him and in that moment, Lucious Malfoy knew that he would always do whatever it took to protect his only son. Even if that meant forcing him to be ready for whatever Voldemort would throw at him once he became a man. He knew that he must keep his end of the agreement and make Draco into a strong young man, no matter the cost. Even if Draco did end up resenting him for it, in his heart Lucious would always remember that he was doing what was necessary for Draco's protection. Before he knew it, tears were streaming out of he eyes.

"Lucious, what's wrong?" Narcissa asked, concerned.

Lucious took a deep breath to steady himself. "I'm just so afraid that the Dark Lord's prediction will come true; that one day he is going to hate me," Lucious confessed. "My biggest fear, Narcissa, is that one day my only son will one day hate me, despise me, resent me. He may even disown me for what I have done - what I will have to do to him. I am scared at the thought of the things that I am going to have to teach him one day."

"Lucious, why are you saying this?"

"Because I _need_ you to understand that this isn't as great of a thing as you think it is. What if Draco doesn't want to learn any of it? What if I actually do end up having to _force _him to do something that he isn't comfortable with? Will you stand beside me, even then? Or what if Draco does end up _loving_ the Dark Arts? What if he turns out to be as sick, twisted and obsessive over them as the Dark Lord himself is? What if I end up creating some sort of monster? Will you end up hating me to? Will this come between us in the end? Will it tear us apart? Narcissa, I don't want to loose you! I can't bear to loose either of you to _Him_!"

Narcissa stared at her husband in shock as she realized what he had been implicating all along. This was indeed a very bad thing. "Oh my god, Lucious! What have we done?"

"_We _haven't done anything. It was _me_. I did this, not you!"

"But I didn't think - I mean, I only thought - Oh Lucious, our only son - He can't -" Narcissa broke off and burst into tears. "We've damned our son to hell, you know that don't you?"

"Yes. I've realized that from the start."

"And yet you went along with it anyway?"

"Yes. It was the only way to save him. You said so yourself that if I hadn't made that pact with the Dark Lord, then Draco would be dead right now, remember?"

"Well yes, but if you knew what you were exposing him to this whole time then _why_ did you do it? Why didn't you just let Voldemort kill him? Death would have been better than living in this earthly hell everyday! And _I_, I was being just as selfish as you were! All I cared about was having a baby and then keeping it alive, no matter what the cost!"

No matter what the cost," Lucious repeated softly.

Sometime during their conversation, Draco had fallen back to sleep. Narcissa looked down at his peaceful face and sighed. "What have we done?" she asked again.

Lucious too looked down at the baby in his arms. "What have _I _done?" he whispered.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them and neither of them spoke another word the rest of the night. They fell asleep shortly afterwards, snuggled together with the little baby nestled on the bed in between them…


	3. A Difficult Decision

**A Difficult Decision**

It was supposed to have been just another ordinary evening at The Burrow. Aurthur Weasley would come home from work late, again, and sit down to have another quiet meal with his wife. Meals were always quiet nowadays because he and Molly were the only two there to enjoy them anymore. Charlie had decided to move closer to home to help the support the Order, but he wasn't staying with them. He was staying with Bill & Fleur. Percy had is own place in London. He wanted to be closer to work at the Ministry, which Molly and Aurthur were perfectly fine with. They had never fully made amends with their 3rd son after he had chose to walk out on them nearly 3 and ½ years ago. Aurthur saw Percy at work and they were usually civil to one another for the sake of professionalism. Percy only usually ever asked his father about work the Order, he never once asked about his mother or any of his family members were doing. A fact that Aurthur had not overlooked. Fred & George were also in London running their own rather successful Joke Shop. They too were in the order now. The twins were helping them to develop new weapons and spells that they could use to fight the Death Eaters with. If Voldemort could invent his own spells and curses, then why couldn't they? Molly and Aurthur had both agreed that Ginny should finish school. Despite her best efforts to get out of going back, she had gotten on the train last week to go to Hogwarts for her seventh and final year of Hogwarts… and as for Ron, who knew where he was. It was hard to tell what he and Harry and Hermione were doing. They hardly ever came home anymore. When they did, it was only ever for a couple of days here and there. This had been going on ever since Dumbledore had died 2 years ago and they would never tell where they were going or what they were doing. So Molly and Aurthur had both stopped trying to keep track of the three of them, for Aurthur it was easy not to think about Harry, Ron and Hermione with everything going on at work. But he knew that Molly did nothing but sit at home each day and wonder where their youngest son was, when he was coming home, or even if he was still alive.

So now the house that used to be so full of life and activity, was empty almost every day. All except for one night out of the week when the entire Order of the Phoenix would come together for another pointless meeting. Those nights were never fun, they were strictly business… and these days, business meant more and more bad news. So far, both the Order _and _the Ministry were losing the war against Voldemort, and everybody knew it. It always seemed that somehow, someway or another, the Dark Lord was always one step ahead of them. The Order's members were dwindling down and they really couldn't recruit too many more people, because they could never be entirely sure if the person was trustworthy or not. It was the same story in the Ministry as well. Rufus Scrimgeour was slowly losing the support of the people because the people didn't trust each other anymore neither. Good help was getting so hard to come by now because no one wanted to work at the Ministry. Everybody knows that Voldemort is desperately trying to gain control over it and no one wants to be there when he does. This, in turn, meant that Aurthur's work days were progressively growing longer and longer. He was spending more time at work than he was at home and when he was home, he was constantly thinking about work. Therefore he looked forwards to coming home each evening and relaxing with his wife after a nice hot meal before turning in for the night… Tonight however, things were going to be different for a change. Their house was about to become full again, they just didn't know it yet…

Aurthur knew that something was off as soon as he had apparated onto the front lawn. The atmosphere just didn't feel right. He took in his surroundings. The first thing out of place he noticed was that there was something white sitting on the first porch step. He cautiously crept toward it, wand at the ready. Once he was close enough to examine the object, he realized that it was just an envelope. He breathed a sigh of relief, chuckling to himself for getting so worked up over something as small as an envelope. _I guess one can never be too cautious, _he thought to himself. He picked the envelope up and turned it over. It was addressed to him! The front of it said: _Read this alone._

He scanned the area to make sure no one was watching him and then quickly tore open the envelope and began reading the letter. It was signed by the last person he ever would have expected to be writing to him; Lucious Malfoy. It read:

_Dear Aurthur,_

_Please keep reading this! Do not throw this letter out, I beg you! I know that I have absolutely no right to ask you for anything. And I know that you have every right to say no. but please, just hear me out! I am sorry about all of this, buy my circumstances have left me with no other choice but to turn to you for help. I know this may sound odd coming from me, but Severus is right; you are the only person I can trust with this! I need someone to help me save my son! I only just got out of Azkaban a week ago and already Voldemort has decided to punish me by taking away the only two things that have ever mattered to me: my wife and my son. Tonight, he nearly succeeded with that goal, for now Narcissa is dead! She died tonight while trying to save Draco. Voldemort killed her without even thinking twice about it! For the past 2 years, while I have been locked away, He's been using my son as his own personal plaything and tonight, it nearly killed him! Voldemort thinks that he's succeeded though because he left Draco for dead, right along with Narcissa, and then ordered me to deal with cleaning up the bodies. I just can't take this anymore! I know it's only a matter of time before he kills me next! Once he gets board with tormenting me, he'll do away with me, I'm sure. Quite frankly I don't give a shit! I see no point in living anymore if I can't have Narcissa by my side. However, Draco is a different story. He cannot survive in this world alone, not yet. That's why I need someone to look after him. Someone who can take care of him and teach him right from wrong. Someone who can give him the love and attention that I never could. Someone like you, Aurthur! As of right now, Voldemort has no idea that Draco is alive. Even I thought he was dead at first! Severus was the one who discovered that Draco still had a pulse, so I know that Draco is hurt, I just don't know how bad. We couldn't do anything for him because we had to get him out of there before Voldemort came back and realized he was still alive. However I do have a private Healer who can help save him. Her name is Saleena Blackwell and she's the best there is! If you will agree to take care of my son, I have left you one of her business cards to contact her with. She is rather expensive however, which is why I have left you with 10,000 Galleons. I would give you more, but that is all the money I have left to my name right now. As I'm sure you already know, once I was convicted, Gringotts put a freeze on my account. I cannot access my money until the Minister allows it. You and I both know however that that will never happen, so long as I am alive, because I wasn't let out of Azkaban, I escaped! Anyhow, should you choose to take Draco in, then a sack of coins will appear on you porch tonight at midnight. And should you chose not to help him, and I understand that you have every right to do just that, then the money will stay here with me and Severus will come by to pick Draco up at midnight. I have no idea where we will go from there though, which is why I am hoping that you will be able to set aside out differences, not for mine own, but for Draco's sake. Either way, just please let Draco know that I am sorry for everything and that I loved him very much. I wish I could have had a chance to explain everything to him, but sometimes we don't always get what we want. Again, I apologize for springing this on you like this, but I really have no other choice. The Order are the only ones who can offer Draco the protection that he so desperately needs right now. If anyone else in the Ministry got ahold of him, he would be thrown into Azkaban. If that were to happen, then he would surely die there, for he is not strong enough right now to withstand much more. Please Aurthur, please find it in your heart to help him. Please do not accuse him for the sins that I have committed against you. It is not Draco's fault. None of this is! He is innocent. Just please… please help him Aurthur._

_Signed, Lucious Malfoy_

Aurthur scanned the note several times, looking for signals that would prove that this was some kind of joke. There were none. And as if to confirm that everything said in this note was true, he heard a gasping noise coming from the porch swing. He looked up and sure enough, there lay Draco Malfoy. _The strangest thing is that Lucious isn't just asking me to take Draco in, he's practically begging me to. And it isn't like Lucious Malfoy to beg for anything! Is he really that desperate? _Aurthur pondered Lucious' letter again for a moment. _He must be out of his mind for just leaving Draco here like this! What would he do if I said no and left Draco out here?_

From up on the porch, Draco groaned and stirred in his sleep. Aurthur walked up onto the porch and stared down at Draco. On the outside, he looked like the same Draco he had seen on platform 9 and 3 quarters when Harry and Ron were in school. But Aurthur knew that this boy was suffering on the inside. Because that was the thing though with magical injuries, they left barley any trace of pain or injury on a person from the outside view. Draco started coughing and gagging. He was struggling to catch his breath. He lost his balance and began rolling of the porch swing, but Aurthur caught him and gently lowered him onto the floor. He noticed how oddly light Draco was and, upon taking a second look at him, he seen that the boy was incredibly thin as well. Aurthur knew right then and there that _not _taking Draco in was not an option. He sighed. _What if this were my son, _he thought. _Would I be desperate enough to save him to trust his care with someone else - someone like Lucious Malfoy?' _The mere thought of that made him shudder, but knew in his heart that he would do just that. So long as it was what was necessary. _One thing's for sure; he'll die if I leave him out here for too much longer._

The front door opened and closed. Molly stepped out on the porch. "Aurthur?" He didn't look up at her. She walked towards him. "The clock showed that you got home about 5 minutes ago. What have you been doing out here?" She leaned down and placed a hand on Aurthur's shoulder. He still didn't look at her so she instead looked at the boy laying on the porch floor. She recognized him at once. "Aurthur!" she exclaimed, "is that who I think it is?"

"Yes. It's Draco Malfoy," he answered shortly.

"What is _he _doing here?" she snarled.

"Lucious wants us to take care if him."

"I'll bet he does!" Molly raged. "What's wrong with him? Why can't he take care of himself?"

"Voldemort got ahold of him."

"Enough said," she nodded. "How do you know all of this? Did Lucious approach you at work?"

"No," he answered. "Draco was already here when I came home. Lucious left me a note. Here." He handed Molly the note so that she could read it.

"Oh, so _now _he decides to step-up and be a parent for once in his life!" she exclaimed. "I don't like this Aurthur. I don't like this one bit!"

Aurthur shrugged. "Molly, we should at least bring him in and contact his Healer," he said. "He need help from a professional, wouldn't you agree? Look, Lucious even left us with a card to contact her." He held out the contact card for Saleena Blackwell. Molly just glared at it.

"And since when do we abide by what Lucious Malfoy wants?" she spat.

"Molly, are you kidding me?" Aurthur asked. He couldn't believe she was reacting like this. "You're not seriously asking me that question! Don't you remember how Dumbledore wanted Draco to be safe, more than anything? Even _He_ extended the Order's protection to Draco on the very night he- well, you know. _That __night_. This was Dumbledore's idea before it was Lucious Malfoy's! We have to respect Dumbledore's wishes. His last ones at that."

"Yes I remember _that._ But that doesn't mean that I have to like it any! Do you honestly think that I want that _thing," _she pointed a hand at Draco, "in _my _house after all of the damage he has caused already? The Order can protect him all they want to, but I will be damned if I allow a Malfoy to dwell under this roof! He can find someplace else to stay!" Molly stopped raging to catch her breath.

"Are you through now?" Aurthur asked. She merely glared at him. "Right. Well Molly, dear, we very well cant just leave him out here to die, now can we? Just look at him! We need to take him in and contact his Healer, and soon. Molly, he's just a boy! Imagine if this were one of our boys!"

"I would _never_ let anything like this happen to one of my boys!" she said defensively.

Aurthur sighed. He needed a way to make his wife see where he was coming from on this. He decided to try a new approach. "Molly, if we agree to take Draco in, the letter says that Lucious will send us 10.000 Galleons to take care of him." It didn't work.

"I don't want Lucious Malfoy's money!" she shrieked. "He can take his money and shove it up his -"

"- Alright Molly, I get it!" he yelled, cutting her off sharply. "Look, I don't like the thought of this any more than you do. But we _need _this right now. We have given everything we have to keep the Order stable and running. Our funding is running out, even with all of the extra hours I've been pulling at work. It's just not enough! But Lucious has given us enough to take care of Draco and then some! Why can't you just let go of his past and give the boy another chance?"

"You're not seriously being conned into one of Lucious' bribes, are you Aurthur?" Molly shook her head disbelievingly. "_This_ is what he does to people! This is how he gets his way all of the time," she yelled. "Why can't you see that he is just playing with you to get what he wants? I _never_ thought I'd live to see the day when my husband would be bought by Lucious Malfoy, of all people!"

"I am not being bought, Molly!" he yelled back. "I don't give a damn about Lucious Malfoy _or_ his filthy money! _I'll_ tell him where he can shove it, if that's what you want! This isn't about Lucious, Molly. It's about Draco for crying out loud! I know it would never happen this way, but what if this were our son, and what if Lucious was our last option? What would you do?"

"Well, I guess I would do whatever was necessary to save my baby, but Aurthur, this is way diff-"

"It is _not_ any different," he said calmly now. "Surprising as it is, Lucious has decided to cast aside our differences and be a real father for a change. Now, if you ask me, I'd say that he made the wisest decision tonight, bringing Draco here. Did you know that Voldemort killed his mother and left him for dead tonight? He tried to burn Draco alive, Molly! And now he has no idea that Draco is still alive! If we allow him to stay here, he would _have _to follow our rules. We could fix him up, set him straight. You know, teach him what it's like to go without and how it feels to actually work for something you really want."

"You can't fix the world Arthur!"

"No, but if we straighten Draco Malfoy up, it will certainly be doing the world a favor! We don't need another Lucious Malfoy clone running around."

Molly chuckled. "That's for sure!"

At that moment, Draco began gagging again and gasping for air. He coughed up a small amount of blood and Molly gasped in surprise. Aurthur started patting Draco on the back to try to help. "I think he's been poisoned.

Molly was staring at Draco in shock. He was, after all, the same age as Ron which was _way _too young to be dealing with things like this in her opinion._ What evil has Draco actually caused? _None that she could think of. The only sin she could accuse him of was running around with the Death Eaters. But then again, when your father was one and your mother went along with whatever, did you actually have a choice? _Maybe he just did what was expected of him, _Molly thought. _After all, it really is all about how you're raised and brought up. Parents need to love and nurture their children so that they'll grow up and turn into respectable adults. They need guidance in order to keep a good head on their shoulders. The need to be encouraged and taught right from wrong. All things in which I am certain that Lucious and Narcissa Malfoy failed to teach this poor boy! He really is just a victim of bad parenting, if you ask me! _And then she finally understood where her husband had been coming from all this time. Draco was innocent. Dumbledore knew it, Aurthur knew it, even she knew it, although she was reluctant to admit it.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but-" she said, shaking her head. "But, I think we need to take Draco inside and help him Aurthur. You're right; he needs us right now and it would be dreadful of us to just leave him out here to die. This boy is innocent. I've searched and I can find nothing to accuse him of. After all, he can't help who his parents are."

Aurthur smiled warmly at his wife. "Thank you, Molly. You know we're doing the right thing."

"I know," she said smiling back. "Because you always know what's right Aurthur. You tend to only find the good in people and you believe in giving anyone a second chance. You are the most kind and forgiving person I know, Aurthur Weasley, and that is why I love you! It's one of the many reasons I married you."

"Now there's the Molly I know and love," he joked, hugging his wife. "It's funny how the tiniest things in a war can threaten to tear people apart. Why, just look at how terribly we were fighting a moment ago! And over something so trivial at that! All we have to do is lay our differences aside and work together for the greater good. Is that not what Dumbledore always tried to tell us? Wasting our breath on silly prejudices will get us nowhere. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' they always say. And I highly doubt that Draco is friends with Voldemort after tonight."

"In a weird way, what you just said actually makes perfect sense dear!" Molly and Aurthur laughed together. "Oh no Aurthur," she exclaimed. "I've just had another thought."

"Oh yeah, what's that dear?"

"_How _are we going to break this to the kids?"

"Well, they aren't children anymore Molls. And besides," he answered. "The only one we'll really have to worry about is Ginny when she comes home for break. Ron, Harry and Hermione are hardly ever home anymore and they won't tell us where they've been going or what they've been doing. They always opt to act in secrecy so I don't see how _they_ should be given much of a say in anything that we so choose to do in our own home."

"Well yes," she agreed. "And no, Arthur. I-I mean, this is still Ron and Harry's home too."

"Technically speaking Molly, Harry has his own place that he can go to if he doesn't like the way we're running things here."

"Aurthur, you know how he feels about going _there_," she said in Harry's defense. "He hasn't fully dealt with loosing Sirius yet! You can't possibly ask him to go and live in that place! Why else do you think we've been having all the meetings _here _instead of going there?"

"Yes, yes, Molly, I know! And _you_ should know that I would never do that to Harry," he reassured her. "I was merely using that as an example to show you that we have the right to do as we please now, Molls. This is _our _home and, even though they are all technically adults now, they are still the children and we are still the parents." Molly nodded in agreement and Arthur continued on to more pressing matters. "Now, lets take Draco inside and get him settled in, shall we? I'll take him in and lay him on the sofa. In the meantime, you can summon his Healer." He handed her the contact card. "Here's her card." Without another word, Molly Weasley took the card out of her husband's hand.

Draco winced and groaned again as Aurthur lifted him off the ground. He gently carried him inside and laid him on their sofa. After Molly had successfully summoned Draco's Healer, she joined Arthur inside in the living room and together, they waited in silence…


	4. The Healer

**The Healer**

_A/N: This chapter is kinda long. I really hope that I captured Saleena's mystery well enough. Please leave a review at the end and tell me what you think of her! Thanks… now enjoy the chapter! _=)

In an office at St. Mungo's, the Head Healer of the Memory Recovery Department, Miss. Saleena Blackwell, was bent over her desk frantically trying finishing up the days paperwork so that she could go home. She tucked a loose strand of her long golden hair back behind her ear and looked up at the clock on the wall again. She couldn't believe that it was nearly 10:00pm. already. She should have been out of here hours ago! She turned back to her work and became extremely focused. It was easy to keep focused at this time of day because the hospital was very quiet, almost too quiet.

"Miss. Saleena," a voice called out suddenly from the speaker on her desk. The arrival of the night-shift secretary's voice startled her so much so that she nearly fell off her chair in fright. "Sorry to bother you ma'am, but it appears you have a visitor here."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. _Who on earth would be coming to visit me at this hour?_ she wondered. "Send them in I guess," was her only reply.

A moment later, there came a soft knock on the office door. She gave the visitor permission to come in. A woman with hair as equally long and as equally golden as Saleena's walked into the room. She closed the door behind her and walked over to the desk. Saleena stared at her in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, this hadto be wrong. _I must be more tired than I thought! _She rubbed her eyes, hoping that the woman before her was a figment of her imagination. No such luck. When she opened her eyes again, the blonde woman was still standing there.

"I am real, Saleena" she confirmed.

"Obviously," Saleena spat. "The question is _why _are you here? You have a lot of nerve just showing up here like this, _uninvited_. It's been over 30 years… Mother."

"Which is far too long if you ask me," her mother replied.

"What do you want, Kireonna?"

The use of her first name coming from her only daughter stung. But a moment later, she had regained her composure and responded, "I have simply come to talk to you Saleena."

"Yeah right, I find that _way _too hard to believe!" Saleena barked. "There has to be more to it than that, there always is with you! I know you want something else, you always want something! So spit it out already!"

"Alright fine," her mother snapped. "If that's how you want it, I'll get straight to the point then. You're grandmother, my mother, the leader of our people; is dying! She probably only has a month or two left to live. She isn't doing good, Saleena… she's not doing good at all."

Saleena's heart sank. Whatever she had been expecting her mother to say, it wasn't this. After a brief silence she asked, "so what do you expect me to do about it?" She was almost positive she knew what was coming next.

"I want you to come _home_, Saleena" her mother pleaded. "Come back and take up your rightful place among out people. I have spoken to them and they are all willing to let the past 30 of your absence go and accept you as their new leader. All you have to do is come back with me."

"I have no desire to become one of _them,_" she said, making the word _them _sound as if it were a some kind of nasty disease. "I never did! You always just assumed that I would want to be their leader and tried to force their customs on me. that's why I left with dad in the first place! So how dare you come in here after all these years like everything is okay between us and ask me to come back with you! My life here is fine! I have a great job and I am very successful. So what on earth would make you think I would even be the slightest bit interested in going back there with you?"

"Well I had hoped that maybe you'd missed me as much as I have missed you," Kireonna sighed. "But I can see now that I was mistaken."

"Yeah, you were!" Saleena nodded sharply. "Mother, it's not that I don't love you, nor that I don't miss you, because I do! It's just that I have no desire to be the leader of a people that I just don't fit in with."

"What do you mean, you don't fit in? Saleena, you fit in fine!"

"No, mother, I don't" she stated. "Think about it; I'm not a boastful person like most of them are. I actually like my privacy! I have no desire to rebel against the ministry, and I actually view men as human beings and not just as a breeding tool. They're people too you know!" Saleena shook her head. "No mother, me being their leader would never work. They wouldn't want me anyways because if I were their Leader then there would be a lot of things that I would change. Most of them don't like change because they're all so set in their own ways and beliefs it isn't even funny! I can't lead them because I do not agree with them. Enough said."

"So there is no way you will change your mind then?" Her mother was practically begging now.

"No!" Saleena said forcefully. "Why don't _you _do it? _You_ be their leader. Carla was _your _mother after all!"

"You know it doesn't work like that!" Kireonna shot back. "_I_ cannot be their leader because I do not have _the gift, _you do! It skips a generation, it always has. You know this!"

"Well I don't want the stupid gift! I never asked for it! I never asked for any of this," Saleena yelled.

"Did you ever think that perhaps it is because of that _stupid gift _that you're so successful?"

"No, I'm successful because I am good at my job!" she argued.

"So you mean to tell me that you've _never _used the gift to help you with _any_ of your patients? Not _ever?_" Kireonna asked skeptically.

"Well yes, maybe I have a few times," Saleena admitted. "But I don't make it a habit of doing it everyday!"

Her mother clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Tisk, tisk, tisk, imagine what the Head Healer of St. Mungo's would say if he found out that his lead girl was actually a Gypsy! It isn't good to lie to your superiors all the time, my daughter. What do you suppose he would say if he ever found out what you were?"

"It doesn't matter because I am _not _one of you!" she retaliated. "And besides, he's not going to find out."

"Oh trust me, once your grandmother dies and there is no one there to take her place, the whole world will know!" Kireonna promised.

"How?"

"Because, our clan has already been approached by another man," she explained. "One who has promised to give us back the freedoms that the ministry has been denying us for years! He knows you'll never come back, so he's made his move already, and most of them have fallen under his influence. Lord Voldemort does have a way with words, you know."

Saleena fount the idea of the _entire_ Gypsy Clan joining forces with Lord Voldemort to be very repulsive. "They would never join Voldemort! The Clan knows better than that! They all know he can't be trusted!"

"Ah, but he is very good at what he does, my daughter," she debated. "When he speaks, he paints this beautiful picture of a perfect and peaceful world, one that we both know is completely wrong of coarse, but the way he paints things is irresistible. A few members of the Clan have already secretly agreed to leave and join him, even if you do decide to come back."

Saleena slowly shook her head. "What exactly will happen if I don't return?"

"The Clan will have vote on a new leader. If they cannot find a girl in the clan who possesses at least one of the three gifts, then they will join forces with Lord Voldemort," she confirmed.

"And what will happen to you if they join him?"

"I'm not sure," Kireonna confessed. "But I will _not_ take side with a monster like him! It is out of my hands because the Clan does not consider my opinion to be of any value. Ever since I failed to raise you up properly, they have disowned me."

"But I always thought that you agreed with Voldemort's principals on blood purity," Saleena challenged.

"Heaven's no!" Kireonna exclaimed. "What on earth would give you that impression?"

"Well, you and Mrs. Black were always the best of friends," Saleena spat. "That woman was a pure-blood nutcase if I ever met one! Sirius and I saw right through her, but you and Rudolfus practically worshiped the ground she walked on! You thought that woman could do no wrong, now tell me I'm wrong!"

"Saleena DeAnn, we are _not_ having this conversation right now," she demanded. "That is not the reason why I am here! I have traveled a long way to speak with you and I'll be damned if I am going to have this argument with you right now!"

The room grew deeply silent as each of the women became engrossed in her own thoughts. They were both afraid of what the future might bring… After a few minutes of thinking, Saleena cleared her throat. Her mother looked up at her pleadingly with her deep brown eyes. Saleena hated herself for doing this but she knew that there was no way she could go back. She didn't belong with the Gypsies. "I am deeply sorry mother, but you will not sway my decision. I cannot go back there." Kireonna buried her face in her hands and began to weep. "Please don't do that mother," Saleena begged. "I'm sorry but I just can't do it! But listen, I'll get us some help, alright? I promise! I'll seek out the Order of the Phoenix and ask them if we can join sides with them. Then you won't have to go with Voldemort. Would you like that?"

Kireonna looked up at her daughter. "You would ask me to turn my back on my clan?"

"They've already turned their backs on you it would seem."

"I won't!" she proclaimed. "I will stay with my clan no matter what they decide to do!"

"Well fine then!" Saleena yelled back. "Do whatever you want to do, but leave me the hell out of it!" On the upper corner of her desk, one of her business cards began to glow. It soared off the desk and glided towards her. Surprised, she reached out and took hold of it, reading it quickly to herself. "Wow," she mused. "This card hasn't glowed in such a long time… I never thought it would again… I wonder what happened…" she was muttering to herself. For a moment, she got so distracted by the card that she nearly forgot her mother was there.

"What is that Saleena?" Kireonna asked, snapping her attention back onto her.

"It's my calling card. I used to use these when I did house calls," she explained. "But it's been forever since one of these have actually been used! I always keep _this_ one on my desk though because it belongs to one of my favorite patients; Draco Malfoy."

"Lucious Malfoy's son?"

"Yes," she said. "And I will confess that this one patient I _have_ used the gift with. I got a call from Mr. & Mrs. Malfoy when Draco was just a baby. He was really sick and I had to use my gift to determine what was wrong with him. Because of it, Lucious and Narcissa have trusted me with their child care ever since. I am not so anxious to lose his trust neither, because usually when I work for the Malfoys, I always get paid rather well."

"Well of coarse you do!" her mother said sarcastically. "That's how Lucious Malfoy always operates. He uses his money to control the world!"

"Lucious Malfoy does _not_ control me Mother!" Saleena glared at her and, for one tense moment, Kireonna glared back. "I have to go," Saleena said, getting up from her desk. "I need to take this call."

The moment of confidence Kireonna had gained a moment ago was now gone. Her face was once again ridden with grief and worry. "Daughter, can you really turn your back on your people without a second thought?"

"Yep."

"But won't you have a guilty conscience?" she pressed.

"Nope. If _our people _are seriously considering joining up with Voldemort after all he has already done, then I want nothing to do with them. Not now, not ever!"

Kireonna sighed. She shot one last pleading look at Saleena. "So nothing I say can change your mind?"

"No Mother," Saleena confirmed. "I have to go now, sorry. You found your way in alright, I trust you don't need any help in finding your way out." She grabbed her traveling cloak off the hook by the door and threw it on. Then she motioned for her mother to leave and she followed her out the door, locking it behind her.

Kireonna stopped at the main entrance to the hospital. "I guess this is goodbye then."

Saleena shrugged. "I guess so."

Kireonna flung her arms around her daughter, embracing her. "I miss you so much!"

"Get off of me!" Saleena cried, prying herself out of her mother's embrace. "Act your age, woman! Look, I really am sorry that I cannot help you, but I have to go now. I have a job to do! Goodbye mother." Without another word, she walked out the double doors and didn't look back…

~*~

Back at the Burrow, it was about 10:45pm. when there finally came a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it," Molly said, getting up to go and answer it.

The main entrance to the Weasley's home opened up into the kitchen and as Molly walked towards the front door, there came yet another soft knock. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" she announced. She opened up the door and there stood Miss. Saleena Blackwell, a pleasant smile on her face. Molly's first impression of her was that she was far too young to be a healer. She was very pretty; tall and slim, with long blond hair. She was very professional looking with her clean-cut white suite, her briefcase filled with medical supplies and her golden hair woven into a braid along her back.

Molly smiled back at her. "Hello, my name is Mrs. Weasley," she said, extending her hand. "You must be Dr. Blackwell."

Saleena reached out and shook Molly's hand. "Miss. Saleena at your service." Molly let her in and closed the door.

"So, do you work for the Malfoys?"

"Goodness, no! I work for St. Mungo's. Lucious has been a client of mine though for quite some time. Draco got very sick as a baby and well, you know the Malfoys. They only hire the best!" She complimented herself. Molly stared at her. "That was a joke," she added quickly. "I'm not really one much for bragging. However, I am second in command on my floor at the hospital. I must say, it has been a long while since I have done a house-call for anyone. I don't blame Lucious though for wanting me to come here in these dangerous times. Who knows how the Ministry would react if Draco Malfoy walked into the hospital right now."

"Well, I highly doubt that Draco will be _walking_ anywhere anytime soon," Molly said. "His condition is notall that great right now."

"What is wrong with him?" she asked.

"Well, we're not entirely sure," Molly answered. "Aurthur, my husband, he suspects that Draco has been poisoned."

Saleena's jaw dropped. "_What?_ What do you mean poisoned? What kind of poison?"

"We don't know Miss."

"Of coarse you don't!" Saleena half chuckled. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."

"erm…" Molly wasn't entirely sure how to take the Healer. Was she being serious, or was she kidding? "Well um, would you like to see him now?" she asked, trying to ease the awkwardness that had settled between them.

"Sure," she said enthusiastically. "It's been a while since I last saw him!"

"Right this way," Molly said, leading her out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Saleena entered the room and walked straight over to the couch. Draco was laying there wheezing, trying to catch his breath. She placed a hand lightly on his forehead and immediately withdrew it. "My goodness, he is burning up!" Molly and Aurthur were silent as Saleena took Draco's pulse and began to examine him. Judging by her reaction, there was obviously something going on that she could see and they could not. Saleena frowned, raised her eyebrows, rolled her eyes, muttered under her breath, shook her head and sighed for several minutes before turning away from her work at last.

"Could one of you please go and get me a cold washcloth?" Molly ran to the kitchen and grabbed a cloth, as was requested. She returned and handed it over to Saleena who placed it on Draco's forehead.

"What's wrong with him?" Aurthur asked after a time.

"It's just as you suspected," she sighed. "He has been poisoned… along with other things…" she trailed off.

"What kinds of other things?" Molly asked.

Saleena just shook her head. "His wounds are internal and go deep. They are the result of a dark magic, which I have never seen before, which can only mean one thing; that Voldemort is growing stronger."

You can help him though, right?" asked Aurthur.

Saleena nodded. "I should be able to, yes. But it will take a lot of time to sort this all out. A lot of time, and a lot ofcoin, I'm afraid. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Aurthur glanced at Molly. She just shrugged her shoulders as if to say; _whatever_ _you_ _like Dear. _"We are," Aurthur answered firmly. "And as for the money, Lucious informed me in his letter that he would be covering the cost the money should be here around Midnight."

"Very well then," Saleena said with a nod. "Lucious hasn't ripped me off, as of yet. So I suppose I can trust him enough to take his word for it on this. I will be needing a more private place to work from though."

"Of coarse you will," Molly said. "I'll go clean out Percy's old bedroom. You can take him upstairs and work from there." With that, she got up from her chair and disappeared up the stairs.

After Molly left, Aurthur turned to Saleena. "You are aware as to why we cannot take him to St. Mungo's, aren't you?" he asked.

"Of coarse I am, My Weasley. I wasn't born last night!" she exclaimed. "We are in the middle of a war here, and Draco happens to be a wanted man, I get that. And if you think for one second that I am going to turn him in, you're wrong! I am not like that at all."

"Well I should assume not," Aurthur interjected. "If you were _that_ sort of person, I highly doubt Lucious would have left us with your card."

"Well, Lucious and Narcissa trust me, and Draco just so happens to be my only favorite patient" Saleena said proudly. "I have worked with Draco ever since he was a baby! I have watched this boy grow and, in turn, I have grown quite fond of him over the years. Rest assured Mr. Weasley, I will do everything within my power to save him, I promise you that."

"I just hope Molly isn't too sore with me for allowing him to stay here. Lucious and I never really go along, you see," Aurthur explained.

"Oh believe me, I know" Saleena said, nodding. "I've heard Mr. Malfoy talk about you before Aurthur. He never really liked you neither. I imagine it must have been a stretch for him to leave Draco here. However, I believe that it was what is best for him."

"You do?"

"Why sure!" She chuckled. "You see, I have always believed that Draco was destined for greatness. I know that he is going to be different than his father, his grandfather, and so-on. I can't explain it myself, I just _know_ that he's different. You know what I mean?"

Aurthur smiled. "Actually I do. And I think that Dumbledore knew it too."

"That he did," Saleena chuckled. "And Dumbledore was never usually wrong about much."

Molly returned, announcing that the room was ready for them. Saleena followed her up the stairs, Aurthur carrying Draco and following right behind them. He took Draco into the room and laid him on the bed. After that, Molly and Aurthur excused themselves and allowed Saleena to get right to work…

It was a few days before either of them seen or heard from Saleena again. Any time Molly would go upstairs to invite her to come down for a bite to eat, Saleena would politely say "No thank you," and that was all. But, every now and again she would emerge from the room just to grab a quick snack and she would then give Molly & Aurthur what little pieces of information she had uncovered. Eventually the pieces began to fit together and they started to get a more clear picture of what had happened to Draco. Saleena wouldn't answer their questions, no matter how much, or how often, they would ask. All she wanted was to be left alone, she preferred it that way because it helped her think.

Saleena had been there for almost a week when Molly and Aurthur recived a BIG surprise. The trio had returned! They walked in the door, tired and travel worn and no sooner had they taken off their traveling robes, Molly & Aurthur met them in the kitchen at the front door. Aurthur immediately pulled his youngest son into a huge bear-hug. He let him go and ruffled his hair.

"Oh, Ronnie!" Mrs. Weasley shouted with glee. She yanked Ron into a hug of her own and didn't let go. "Oh it's so wonderful to see, all three of you…alive," she added.

"Mum, would you mind?" Ron asked breathlessly. "I kinda can't breathe here!"

"Oh," she exclaimed, releasing Ron.

"Well this is a most unexpected surprise!" Aurthur exclaimed.

"Yes, but we are only staying for about a week, if that," Harry emphasized. "It wont be for long."

"You never do stay for long," Molly said stiffly.

"Well, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit this time," Aurthur asked.

"We have come to warn you and the Order that -" Hermione began, but Molly cut her off.

"- Shhh, not now! We are not the only ones here at the moment," she explained. "And one of them might overhear you."

Harry, Ron and Hermione were now giving Molly and Aurthur curious looks. Aurthur sighed. "Look, before you head upstairs, I guess there's something you need to know."

The trio froze. Immediately they were all on edge. "What's going on?" Asked Harry quickly.

"Is everybody alright?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Yes, yes. Everybody here is fine," Molly assured them. "We-we just… Oh, I can't do this Aurthur, _you_ tell them! After all, it was your idea to keep him here."

"Keep who here?" Ron cut in.

"Thanks Molly," Aurthur muttered sarcastically. Then he turned back to the trio, "well you guys," he began. "We have a few guests in the house right now. They're both up in Percy's old bedroom. One of them is a Superior Healer from St. Mungo's. Her name is Saleena Blackwell.. She is here tending to our otherguest, and _he_ might just be staying here for a while, as he has nowhere else to go."

"Alright, who is it?" Ron asked.

Aurthur took in a long breath to steady himself. He knew there would be an explosion as soon as he said the name. "Draco Malfoy."

"WHAT!?" They all three shouted in unison.

"Why in the hell is _he _here?" Ron continued. "What the hell were you thinking even letting him walk through our door, dad? How could you?"

Hermione just shook her head, "Aurthur _why? _He is such a horrible person!"

Harry didn't say a word. He just stared at Mr. Weasley's. Aurthur met Harry's gaze and they continued to stare at one another while Ron and Hermione ranted on.

"And who cares if he has nowhere else to go!" Ron shouted. "Just throw him out on the street and make _him _do the begging for a change! That's what I would have done, and it'd be no more than he deserves! Why doesn't he just go and stay in his kooshy little mansion? What, is it not big enough for him anymore? Well that's just too Damn-"

"- He even said that he wanted _me_ dead when the Chamber of Secrets was opened! Don't you remember that?" Hermione was yelling over top of Ron. "I-I mean, the boy has _never, ever _used my real name. Not once! I tolerated his comments at school only because I _had _to. I will not listen to it here! You just wait. If he says _one_ _thing_ to me that's out of line, I swear I'll put a hex on him! If he messes with me here, he's going to need a Healer alright! I just-"

"- You guys, I think that's enough!" Harry commanded, shouted over and cutting off their protests. "If anyone here has a right to hate the Malfoys more then us, it's Mr. Weasley. He and Mr. Malfoy's relationship is a lot more complicated than ours is with Draco. Therefore, if Mr. Weasley has allowed Mr. Malfoy's son into his home, I'm sure it's not without good reason. So why don't we give him a chance to explain all this before we start freaking out!"

Aurthur smiled. He knew that even if no one else understand, or even believed him, Harry always would. He also knew that if Harry accepted this gracefully, so would Hermione, and in turn, so would Ron. The room grew quiet as all eyes now turned onto Aurthur expectantly. "Thank you, Harry," he said. "And you are correct, there is a very good reason for this. From what we have gathered on Draco's condition, it isn't good. Apparently Voldemort has been holding him hostage for three months, starving him and tormenting him the entire time. He murdered Draco's mother and nearly drove his father insane. Then he shoved some kind of poison down his throat and left him there to suffer for hours before he would have eventually died from it. However, soon after Voldemort had left Draco alone, Severus found him. He didn't have the supplies or the time to make the antidote, so he and Lucious brought Draco here and left him on our porch. That was where I found him when I came home from work last week. Voldemort has no idea that Draco is even still alive. He _needs_ the Order's protection right now more than ever! Lucious even sent us 10,000 Galleons to take care of his medical bills. Whatever is left over, we get to keep!"

"Who cares about his money, dad?" Ron yelled. "He can take his stupid money and shove it for all I care! And since when does the Order _charge _for their protective services? I thought that we operated for free. Isn't that why we're so broke in the first place? Why would you except charity from Lucious Malfoy? Of all people, why _him?"_

"Ronald, you are somuch like your mother," Aurthur sighed. Molly chuckled. "For starters, it isn't _charity_ and it isn't Lucious' money, it's Draco's. We can barley afford to feed ourselves, let alone add another mouth to feed. And as I already told you, Draco has medical bills that'll have to be paid for out of that money before anything else. It is not for the Order to spend it as they wish Ron."

Ron looked at his mother and she immediately understood what he was trying say. "I'm sorry Ronald, but I have already agreed with your father on this. We have spoken with Minerva already and she has issued an order for Draco's protection. We don't have a choice now that she has confirmed it. The Order must comply."

"But that's ridiculous! This is your house, isn't it?" He argued.

"Yes," Molly answered. "But so long as we are offering it to up as temporary headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, we have to keep our doors open to whomever asks for the Order's protection."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend' they always say" Aurthur stated. "And from what I've seen so far, there is _no way _Draco will ever want to rejoin sides with Voldemort. Draco seems to hate him as much as he hates his father, which I don't blame him for. If he isn't on Voldemort's side, then that makes him on our side. We are all fighting for the same cause here. And at the end of the day, that is all that really matters? Draco has been with Voldemort a lot over the past year and he could have some very valuable information for us as to what Voldemort is currently planning to do, or what his next move might be. You never know, he could prove to be useful to us after all."

Hermione nodded in agreement, finally understanding as to why the Order would want to protect Draco. "Well that makes perfect sense," she stated simply.

Ron however still looked to be confused. He seemed to have only gotten one thing out if everything that Aurthur had just said. "Wait a minute, wait a minute! Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say that Draco _hates _his father?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes, but that's not all. Were you paying attention to anything I just said Ronald?"

"No," he confessed. "I'm sorry dad, but I lost track after you said that Draco hates Voldemort _almost_ as much as he hates his father. That doesn't make much sense, considering that Draco practically worships the ground his precious father walks on! Draco is the spitting image of Lucious Malfoy and you know it!"

Seeing the wary look on Aurthur's face, Molly spoke up at last. "Things are not how they once were Ronald. You will understand more once you've seen him. I'm sure we all will. Your father and I haven't even gotten the chance to speak with him yet."

"Why haven't you spoken to him yet?" Hermione asked.

"Because for one thing, he hasn't been in any condition to carry on a conversation" Molly said. "That, and Saleena doesn't like a bunch of people around when she's working."

"Didn't you say she was a Superior at St. Mungo's?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Aurthur answered.

"What does that mean?" asked Ron.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "To be a Superior Healer means that you're _really _good at what you do. She must have people working under her," she explained.

"The entire top floor, she said" Aurthur told Hermione again.

Hermione nodded. "Each department at St. Mungo's has different floors the coordinate with each department. It is the Superior Healers job to make sure that each separate floor of their department is running smoothly," she explained. "Meanwhile, the Head Healer runs the entire department. If this Saleena is running the entire _Top_ floor of her department, then she mustbe good. It means that she is the Second-in-Command of her Department. Do you know what Department she is in?"

Aurthur shook his head. "She didn't specify."

"Hmmm… well, it'll be interesting to find out. When can we meet her?"

"Whenever she decides to come down here and grace us with her presence," Molly said sarcastically.

"Now Molly don't start that again!" Aurthur told his wife. Taking in the confused looks on the trio's faces, he added, "Molly doesn't appreciate the fact that Miss. Saleena rarely ever comes out of Draco's room."

"She's been downright rude!" Molly said, agitated. "Common courtesy suggests that whenever someone offers you to join them for dinner, you accept. Not just take the food upstairs and eat it alone while you're a guest in someone else's house!"

"She's a very private person who prefers to keep to herself, Molls. There is nothing wrong with that."

At that moment, a throat cleared. Everyone turned their attention to the kitchen entryway. Standing there in the doorway was the blonde Healer, Miss. Saleena herself. "Hello," she said shyly. "I have come to give you a report, Mr. & Mrs. Weasley. I didn't realize you had company over, my apologies."

"No no, Saleena! These aren't our guests. This is my son, Ronald and his friends," Molly said, pointing at each of them in turn. "Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

Saleena nodded. "It is wonderful to meet all of them, Mrs. Weasley -"

"- Please, call me Molly."

"Molly. Did you say Harry Potter? As in _the _Harry Potter?" Molly smiled at her, nodding. Saleena turned to Harry then. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, I know you must get this sort of thing an awful lot."

"It's okay, really" Harry assured her.

"But, if I may ask, aren't you Sirius Black's Godson?"

"Umm, yes" he answered her, slightly taken aback. Sirius wasn't usually the first person that people associated him with. Normal people recognized him for Voldemort. "_You _knew Sirius?"

Saleena chuckled. "Oh I knew him alright. Sirius and I go _way _back. Before his Hogwarts days even. We used to be neighbors, so we grew up together. But then while I was 10 and Sirius was 11, my father's company got transferred to France, so he had to move. But my mother refused to leave England because all of her family is here. My money-crazy father chose his job over his family, which left me stuck in the middle. My parents gave me the choice of whom I wanted to live with and, as much as it killed me to have to move so far away, I chose to go with my father. He has his own medical practice in France now and, even back then, I knew that I wanted to go into the medical field. That's one of the main reasons I chose to go with my dad. Another reason is because I knew that my mother was planning to go back and live with her parents. I refusedto go and live with _them!_ She would've let them force their customs on me and I have no desire whatsoever to become the next one of _them!_. " Saleena sighed at her long-past memories. "That was the last time I ever saw him I'm afraid. I read about him when he was in the paper for murdering those muggles. What a load of rubbish that was! The Sirius I knew would never do something like that! And then they just shipped him off to Azkaban without even a trial! I read about his clever escape too and I've kept a copy of every article he was ever in in the _Daily Prophet._ Oh Harry, I was _so _happy when you and your friends proved his innocence! That was such great news, even if it was… too late. It was so horrible when he - when he…"

"Yeah I know," Harry agreed. "It was hard. It still is hard some days."

Saleena sighed and went on with her story. "After the move, I got accepted into the '_Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.' _I finished school there with top marks and continued on to study medicine. I even went abroad and studied in America for a while. Then about 18 years ago, I decided to come home and take up a job at St. Mungo's. That's when I met the Malfoys. When Draco was a year old, he got really sick and wouldn't stop crying. His parents didn't know what he wanted, or what was wrong with him. They tried everything! I have a gift for reading people, you see. So Lucious called me to his house. I guess I earned their trust after that because I've been Draco's private Healer ever since. And, just so we're clear, I am in no way friendly with Mr. Lucious Malfoy. My relationship with him is strictly business. I am the only one Narcissa would ever trust to take care of her baby. The Malfoys have always preferred to live a very private home-life so there were few people they allowed in their home unless there was a special occasion."

"Yeah I'll bet Lucious enjoyed his privacy alright," Aurthur said bitterly.

"Lucious Malfoy gave the department that Aurthur used to work for in the Ministry a lot of trouble, on several different occasions" Molly stated.

"Ever since I ordered that first raid on his house years ago, after Voldemort's first fall, Lucious has continuously tried to get me fired from the Ministry. Lucious and I have never really seen eye-to-eye on much of anything."

"Then why are you housing his son?" Saleena asked curiously.

"It's complicated," Aurthur answered. He didn't trust Saleena enough to approach the subject of the Order with her just yet, so he quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of Draco, how is he? You said you had a report for us?"

"Oh right," Saleena exclaimed, snapping back into her businesslike manner at once. "The most minor injury he sustained was a dislocated shoulder. The worst; a broken leg. His right leg to be precise. It was shattered in several places, who knows what the hell Voldemort did to it!" she shuddered. "Anyways, he mustn't move it for the next week, it has to stay propped up at all times! I have given him plenty of fluids over the past couple of days, so he is no longer dehydrated. I believe that he should be able to eat solid foods now, but I would only give him soft foods and soups to start out with. He's still kinda groggy from the combination of the antidote and all the other various potions I've given him. I have supplied him with enough of each medication to last another week. There are different times he will need to take each one everyday. I will check in at the end of the week to make sure everything is working as it should be. If you have any questions, you can always-"

"-Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Molly cut Saleena off in mid-sentence. "You actually expect us to remember all of this? There is no way! Couldn't you just come each day?"

"I am sorry ma'am, but my job requires me to be there everyday. I've already been gone long enough. Besides, it would cost an awful lot to do that and I don't think-"

"-How much is it per day for you to stay?" Aurthur inquired, cutting her off again.

"Well, because the Malfoys have been clients of mine for quite some time now, and because Draco does happen to be my favorite patient, I would only charge him 100 Galleons a day. However, if I had to stay over night too, it would be another 100 on top of that. But it isn't just the money, it's all the time as well. I have other patients and other responsibilities to tend to back at the hospital."

"If we paid you 200 Galleons a day, would you be able to stay for another week or so?"

"But that would cost nearly 1500 Galleons a week, Mr. Weasley!"

"I know that. But we can cover it. Lucious gave us the money," he reminded her. "And you said yourself that he and Narcissa only wanted the best for their son. My wife and I will never be able to remember all of those potions and what times to give them and all the rules and guidelines! So clearly, we are _not _what is best for Draco. But it's obvious that you are! Otherwise, Lucious wouldn't have given us your card in the first place."

Saleena bit her lower lip. "I don't know. I would have to talk to my Head first and get it approved through him. It is a great idea, and I'd be more than happy to do it, it's just that it's time consuming is all." Saleena paused to think for a moment. "I'll tell you what," she continued. "I'll run back to St. Mungo's and have a talk with Dr. Nelson to see what he suggests. That way I can make a proper decision on this and we can go from there. I shouldn't be gone too long, but if Draco happens to wake up before I return I must warn you; there is a good chance he might be a little bit panicky."

"Panicky?" Molly asked, concerned.

"Yes, panicky. As in, he hasn't been quite with-it enough yet this week to fully come to terms with the extent of his condition. Some things may be a bit of a shock for him, especially once he finds out where he's staying. I mean lets face it, Lucious Malfoy is the boy's father and we all know how much your two families have never gotten along. Therefore, you should not be alarmed if he freaks out-" Almost as if on cue, a painful scream rang out from the floor above. Saleena chuckled, "yeah, umm, something kinda like that," she said. Then she ran out of the room and up the stairs. Draco was laying in the bed where she had left him, clutching his right leg and howling in pain. From the looks of things, Saleena gathered that Draco had moved in his sleep, thus causing his leg to slide off of the pillow it had been propped up on, the alarming pain jerking him awake.

"Calm down, calm down Draco, I've got it," She shouted over him. She rushed to the foot of the bed and gently lifted his broken leg back onto the pillow. Draco's screams turned to whimpers as the pain slowly subsided. "I'm sorry Draco, but your leg was so badly broken that I had no choice but to heal it slowly in order to be sure it even could be healed properly," Saleena explained. "It should only take about another week to heal but you must stay off of it and try not to move any." She walked around the bed to the right side of it and stood next to him. "How do you feel?" she asked.

Draco only groaned in response. His senses were slowly coming back to him now and his throat felt like it was on fire. Memories began flooding his brain and as they did so, Saleena placed a hand on his shoulder. She was then able to join his thoughts and get a glimpse into Draco's mind to see more of what had happened from his perspective. She watched as Draco remembered that awful night; his father joining the Dark Lord in casting nasty spells on him, Voldemort threatening to kill him and then move onto his father, the dumbfounded look on his father's face as Voldemort had told him all about the night he had been born. Oh, how he had wished it was all a lie, but Lucious didn't deny it! Then he remembered his father pouring some hot liquid down his throat, the excruciating pain it had caused him. He remembered wishing that Voldemort would just kill him and end his misery. But just as the Dark Lord was about to grant him his wish, his mother had stepped in the way and was killed instead. He had no idea how or when she had came into the room, all he remembered was seeing her body crumpled and fall to the ground. She had landed with a thud, right over top of his already broken legs. He remembered screaming even louder than before as he realized that she would never get up again. Then Voldemort had ripped him out from underneath of her and hit him with yet another _Crucio_ Curse before turning to leave the room. By that time, he was too consumed with agonizing pain and grief to notice much else that was going on around him. He couldn't move, or scream, or even breath after a time as the poison slowly spread throughout his system. And then, when it seemed that death was finally coming for him at last, two hands had taken hold of him and pulled him out of the darkness. When he opened his eyes again, Professor Snape was there, kneeling next to him. Snape helped Lucious pull himself together and the two of them cleaned up the mess that Voldemort had made. The last thing Draco remembered was seeing Severus carry the body of his dead mother out of the room, and then he slipped into unconsciousness…

Saleena removed her hand from Draco's shoulder and gasped. _'Oh, what an awful ordeal this poor boy has been through'_, she thought to herself, shuddering. She could not believe what she had just seen.

"Mom," Draco groaned softly. "My mother…" Tears swelled up in his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. "My father," he growled. He trembled with rage as the realization of what had happened washed over him. "I hate him! I HATE HIM!"

"Now now, please don't go getting yourself worked up," Saleena encouraged. "Don't go raising your voice at me because it won't help any. On the contrary, yelling will only make it hurt worse. You have to calm yourself down Mr. Malfoy."

"Don't call me that!" Draco demanded. "Don't you _ever _call me that again! I hate him and I want nothing more to do with him! NEVER!"

"Okay _Draco, _I'm sorry I used your last name! But please, you have to calm yourself down."

"He lied to me! He's been lying to me my whole life! My entire existence is a lie!" Draco continued ranting.

"Draco, what in Merlin's name are you talking about?"

"_This,_" Draco said, pressing the palm of his hand against hers. He knew she'd be able to see, so he closed his eyes and allowed the memory of when Voldemort had told him about the day he was born to fill his mind again. This time, he forced himself to recall every painful detail he could because he wanted her to understand.

It was then that the real cause of Draco's anger became clear to Saleena. "Wow," she said softly, shaking her head. "That's deep stuff, Draco. You have every right to be upset, I would be too if I were in your shoes. I never thought your father would do such a thing. He always seemed to really care about you."

"He is _not _my father, not anymore! I hate him! I want nothing more to do with him! He doesn't care about me, he never did! If he did, then he wouldn't have lied to me all of those years!"

"You're right," she agreed. "I never expected anything like this. I mean, I had noticed the Mark on your arm, but I never questioned it, because never once did I expect that it were _real." _There was silence between them again. "Are you going to be okay?" Saleena asked Draco sincerely.

"I dunnow," Draco shrugged. "Eventually, I guess so… I suppose I'm even lucky to be alive right now, aren't I?"

Saleena laughed. "That you are!" "And I suppose I have you to thank for that," he continued. Saleena shrugged. "It's no big deal, really. I was just doing my job.""Well still," he said. "Thank You.""You're welcome, Draco." Saleena checked the time and sighed. "Well, I suppose it's time for me to report back to St. Mungo's and check in with my boss. But don't you worry, Draco, I _will_ be coming back," she said with a wink. "If you need anything while I am gone, just yell for Molly or Aurthur and one of them will be right up to help you." She turned to leave, hoping he hadn't caught on to exactly what she had said. No such luck there. Despite his current condition, Draco's senses were still as sharp as ever.

"Wait," he said firmly, stopping her in her tracks. "_What_ did you just say? _Who _do you want me to askfor help?" He asked. "Saleena, where exactly am I?"

"You're in a safe place Draco," she answered vaguely. "So there's no need to worry."

"_Don't_ be short with me, Saleena!" he commanded. "Answer the damn question! _Where_ _am_ _I?"_

"

Now, please stay calm Mr. Malf-"

"-DON'T call me that!"

"Sorry - _Draco_- but I learned from Aurthur that it was Severus' idea to bring you here. He and Lucious thought that this would be the safest place for you, I guess." She took a deep breath. She knew he was going to overreact, but she had to tell him sooner or later. "You are in the home of Molly and Aurthur Weasley, in one of their son's old bedrooms."

For a brief moment, Draco just sat there, mouth gaping open in shock while what she had just said sank in. "So you mean to tell me that I am in the Weasels excuse-of-a-home, lying in one of their hand-me-down beds?" he asked slowly. Saleena nodded, confirming his worst nightmare. "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE," he bellowed. "I _demand_ that you take me to St. Mungo's at once!"

"Why would you want me to do that, Draco? Do you _want _to get arrested?" she asked. "Because that's what would happen if I were to take you there! They would lock you up at once. Draco, you're at the top of the wanted the list now, right along with Voldemort, Severus Snape and your father. Didn't you know that?"

"_WHAT?" _Draco stared at her in disbelief. "I haven't done anything _that_ bad though! Why else do you think I was punished like this for? Because I wouldn't do what the Dark Lord wanted me to, that's why! So then _why_ would the Ministry be after me for?"

"Draco, everyone knows that you were involved with the Death Eater's raid on that muggle village a few months ago. It's been all over the news!" she informed him. "_And_ they know how you turned and fled with the Death Eaters the night that Albus Dumbledore was murdered. I'm sorry it break it to you like this, but you're a prime suspect right now. You mustn't be seen by anyone in the public until we can clear your name first."

"Well yeah, but I certainly cannot stay _here! _Not with _them! _I refuse to do it!"

"How can you act like that?" she asked, not wanting to believe that Draco could possibly share the same feelings about the Weasley's as his father had. "You're not _that _selfish! You should be grateful, because from what I have heard, you're lucky they even allowed you to stay here in the first place! They almost didn't take you in you know."

"I almost wish they hadn't."

"If they hadn't, you would have been dead by now."

"That doesn't mean that I owe them anything!"

"No one has said that you owe anyone anything, Draco!" she exclaimed. "You're acting like your father right now. Are you seriously going to be like that?"

Draco shook his head vigorously. He knew she was right about everything. He really had nowhere else to go but to the Order. Snape was right to send him here. And given his family's history with the Weasley's, he truly was lucky that the Order had accepted him into their protection. But still, he wasn't ready to admit it. He wasn't about to go down without a fight, that would make him weak. "I just _can't _stay here Saleena," he said. "You don't understand."

"You're right I don't," she agreed. "So why don't you help me to, please. Tell me what is so wrong with this house? I've been staying here for a little over a week now and I've even offered to stay for another week to help take care of you. I don't see anything wrong with this house or these people. They all seem very friendly. _Harry Potter _even lives here!" If she thought the last bit of news would help, she was wrong. It had the complete opposite effect on Draco.

"I can't stand Potter," Draco spat.

"Why? What has he ever done to you?"

"We went to school together. Potter and I have always hated each other, that's just the way things are! You wouldn't understand."

"You sure it's not because you're both incredibly jealous of each other?"

Draco scoffed. "What on earth would _I_ be jealous of _Potter_ for?"

Saleena shrugged. "Only you can answer that."

There was a brief silence between them. Finally Draco asked, "does Potter even know I'm here?"

"Yes he does."

"And what did he have to say about it?"

"Nothing from what I heard," she answered honestly. "But from what I have seen, he doesn't seem too opposed."

"Humph! That's Potter for ya." And then he was silent again.

After a moment, Saleena asked, "Draco, may I tell you something?"

"What now," he sneered.

"Well, it seems to me that you have been given a very rare opportunity here. You have the chance to change, and I mean _really change _your life around. I know how life has been like for you and I'm just letting you know that it doesn't have to be that way anymore. No more trying to be only who you're told to be, no more hiding who you really are. From now on all you have to do is just be _Draco_. I just don't understand why you're being so stubborn about all this. Won't you tell me what is going on?"

Draco shook his head and sniffled, trying to keep himself from having an emotional breakdown. "You wouldn't understand, even if I did."

"Draco, why are you acting this way?" she asked. "It's just me and you in here and you have never spoken to me like this before! What are you trying to prove? I hope you do realize that you no longer have to prove anything to anybody! Those days are done! So there is no need for you to be so bitter and angry, guarded and defensive, _all_ _of_ _the_ _time!_ It is okay to let your emotions out every once and a while, you know? It's human. So, why don't you just tell me what it is that really bothers you about staying here?"

"I am _not_ going to do that because I am not a weak person like some people!"

"Expressing your emotions does not make you a weak person, Draco," she stated. "Who on earth told you that lie?"

"My father," he said through clenched teeth. "And if Potter seriously has _no_ objection to me staying here then I may have been wrong about him and I would _never_ be willing to admit that to anybody!"

"And why not? How hard is it to admit that you were wrong?"

"It's a sign of weakness and I am _not_ weak!" he spat.

"Draco, you have clearly been misinformed," Saleena jeered. "Admitting that you may have been wrong about something, or someone, does _not_ make you weak. You're father isn't here now so you don't have to strive for his acceptance anymore! You no longer have to follow his rules. You know that he was just teaching you to be a Death Eater, so I don't understand why you still believe every word that Lucious ever told you! _Stop trying to be him!"_

Draco was clearly offended. "I'm not! How dare you!" he glared at her.

"If you're not trying to act all tough for your father right now then who are you doing it for? Voldemort?"

"NO!" he asserted. "What's it to you anyways?"

"Well, after everything you've been through," she began. "Being half-starved for three months, tortured by Voldemort, having your own father turn on you, watching your mother die and now, having to accept help from the very people you once considered your enemies; I just find it hard to believe that you're _okay _with everything. I'm just trying to understand how you do it, that's all."

"Do what?" he growled.

"Go through all of that and still be able to sit here and act like you're fine when clearly, you are anything but fine."

"Okay, you're right," he yelled. "I am _not_ fine! I just don't want to stay here because - because," he broke off to catch his breath and calm himself down a bit. "I do not deserve to be treated nicely by these people! They have more important things to be dealing with right now other than me. I don't understand why they would even want to waste their time when there is so much else to worry about! Not only that, but I don't think I could live here and have to face being pa-poo-oh, I cant even say it!"

"What, poor?"

"Yes _that!" _he spat. "I honestly don't understand how these people live. I don't belong here."

"Draco, this isn't honestly about money, is it?" Draco didn't answer her. "I don't think it is. Do you want to know what I do think?"

"No, but I know you're going to tell me anyways, so lets hear it."

"I think you're upset because this is all out of your control," she said. "It's new for you and you don't know what to expect, so you're scared. But sometimes we have to overcome our circumstances and allow our experiences to make us better people."

"You're only telling me all of this because you think that I'm weak and cant handle it, aren't you?"

What? No!" Saleena exclaimed. "Draco, you are one of the strongest people I have ever met! You just need to learn to accept that which you cannot change."

"Why? What if I don't want anything to change? What if I wished that none of this had ever happened? What if I wished that I had never been born?" he challenged.

"Draco, when we accept the things we cannot change in our lives, it makes us stronger," she told him. "For example, you cannot change the fact that Voldemort killed your mother, nor can you change what your father did to you. All you can do is accept what has happened and try to make the most of it. Statistically speaking, you shouldn't even be alive right now. By all accounts, you should have died already. Not too many people can withstand all that Voldemort put you through; physically, mentally, and emotionally, and live to tell about it. You are a very strong young man Draco, and by no means do I believe that you are weak! Nor will anyone else for that matter."

"But you don't _get it!" _Draco bellowed. "A few nights ago, I found out that I was a _mistake!_ Voldemort told me that my mother and father weren't trying to have a baby, it was a complete accident! My mother even tried to force herself to have a miscarriage because she didn't want me. And when I asked my father if it were all true, he did not deny it! They gave me up to the Dark Lord the day I was born and I was forced into becoming a Death Eater! _FORCED! _Even though Voldemort may have made it seem like I had a choice in the matter, I neverreally did. My father set me up! I didn't _want_ to go on that raid with the other Death Eaters, but I was scared for my life! Voldemort was threatening to kill me if I didn't go, so I did what I had to do in order to survive. Saleena, it's a little late to try to be whoever _I_ want to be now because the entire world thinks that I'm the bad guy! Everybody hates me simply because of my last name. Hell, I hate my name too! My whole life, I've been treated differently than everyone else because of it! I just wish that things could be normal for a change. I wish that I didn't have to hide who I am or how I feel _all_ _the_ _time_, but no one gets me! If I started acting soft now, people would pick fun at me and they wouldn't respect me at all. And if I don't have people's respect, they will just reject me even more."

"So…" Saleena considered everything he had just said. "It sounds to me like you are afraid of being rejected."

"_I'm_ not afraid of anything of anything!" he said defensively.

"Oh please, Draco, don't give me that crap," she mused. "_Everyone _is afraid of something, even Voldemort, so just admit it! Weather it be by your father, your friends, or these people here, you cannot stand the thought of them not wanting you around. I know you feel like you have to be accepted wherever you are, and that that's why you always think that you have to do something to prove yourself to someone. Which, in turn, all boils down to you having an ultimate fear of rejection. I know you're not willing to admit it right now Draco, but you do. It all makes perfect sense and you know I'm right."

Draco didn't say anything. He just folded his arms and glared at her. Of coarse he _knew_ she was right. She couldn't have been _more_ right, and he despised her for it. He truly was afraid if being rejected. After all, _the famous_ Harry Potter had rejected him on their first day at Hogwarts and he had resented him for it ever since. And he had spent his entire life thus far trying to make his father proud of him, striving to earn his acceptance, but nothinghe ever did seemed to be good enough for Lucious Malfoy. That was the very reason he had signed on to join the Death Eaters in the first place; so that _maybe then _his father would approve of him when he came back home from Azkaban. The only thing he ever wanted in life was to be accepted.

"What, no comment?" Saleena asked, with her usual sarcasm, a minute later.

"I hate you," Draco growled.

"You _hate _me?" she repeated. "But Draco, hate is such a strong word! What on earth do you have to hate _me_ for?"

"You know me entirely _too_ _well!" _he shot. "I never should have allowed you to get so close!"

Saleena smiled. "So then, you admit that I was right."

"I never said that!"

"No, but you were implementing it."

"I never implied _anything!" _he raged.

"Draco, _why_ is it so hard for you to talk about your feelings?" Saleena asked again. "It isn't healthy to keep your rage bottled up inside you like this. If you don't let it out, you're going to grow into a very unhappy, bitter old man one of these days - Just like your father! Haven't you ever talked to anyone before?"

Draco didn't answer her question. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. The truth of it was, as a boy, he had _tried _to talk about his feelings. But then he was forced to learn at a young age that that type of behavior was not permitted. A memory filled his mind and he focused on it, trying anything he could to ignore Saleena's prying questions. As he focused on the memory, Saleena placed a hand on his right leg, but Draco was too consumed within his own thoughts to notice. Almost instantly, Saleena was able to watch the memory along with him, as if it were one of her own:

_In this particular memory, Draco was just a little boy who was hiding under his bed. The bedroom was dark and he was clinging to an old teddy bear. He appeared to have been crying. As he touched a hand to his cheek, Saleena noticed that there was a red handprint on his left cheek._

"_I don't know why daddy is so mean Mr. Bear," he whispered into the bears ear. "He isn't like this all of the time, only sometimes. I wish I knew if he liked me, Mr. Bear. Sometimes I wonder. I don't think my daddy likes me. Maybe that's why he's always so mean to me…" He was silent for a moment as he wiped the tears away from his eyes. "You know, you're the only person I can talk to around here Mr. Bear. I don't trust anybody else but you." He hugged the teddy closer to him. "Don't ever go away from me, okay?"_

_At that moment, there were footsteps in the room. "Draco, are you in here?" A deep, cold voice called out. "Your mother insisted that I come back up here to see if you were alright. Where are you?" Draco sniffled from under the bed, which caught Lucious' attention at once. He reached under the bed, grabbed hold of Draco and drug him out from under it. "What do you think you're doing? Stand up!" Draco got to his feet, trembling. "What were you doing under there?"_

_Draco stared down at the floor. "I-I was just-just playing a game daddy," he stuttered._

"_You were playing a game?" Lucious repeated. Draco nodded. "I heard voices. Who were you talking to?"_

"_No one daddy," Draco answered, still not meeting his fathers gaze._

_It was then that Lucious noticed the teddy bear clutched in Draco's right arm. He reached out and snatched it away from him. "What the hell is this thing?" He demanded._

"_Daddy, that's mine!" Draco cried. "Give him back daddy, he's mine!"_

"_You don't need to be playing with silly little toys, Draco. Have I taught you nothing? This is for babies and you are not a baby anymore!"_

"_Daddy, please give him back. Please! He's mine. He's mine" he continued to cry helplessly, hoping that his mother would hear and come up to save him._

"_Not anymore, it's not. You're too old for filthy things like this. It's time for you to grow up boy!" He whipped out his wand and preformed a vanishing spell on the bear, making it disappear forever. Draco started to whimper and Lucious raised his hand threateningly. Draco stopped crying and cowered before his father. "That's much better," he said, patting Draco on the head. "Now get back into bed and go to sleep son," Lucious commanded. Then he stormed from the room and little Draco crawled into bed and cried himself to sleep…_

Draco opened his eyes and wiped a tear off his cheek. He felt Saleena's hand on his leg and quickly slapped her away. "Get your filthy hand off of me, you freak!" he cried. "Don't touch me, don't you ever tough me again! You'd better just stay out of my head, do you hear me? I know what you are. My father told me all about you and you're nothing but a freak!"

Her jaw dropped open. "Your father told you? When?"

"A while ago. I've known for quite some time now," he sneered. "It was a bit of a joke with my parents. Every time I did something wrong, they would always threaten to call the gypsy on me. So, if you say anything to anybody about tonight, I swear I'll tell everybody what you are and then they'll lock you up for good!"

She glared at him. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh yeah? Try me," he threatened.

"Well, if you did that, then _I _would just have totell everybody that Draco Malfoy is afraid of being rejected."

"Oh please, not that again! You think you have me all figured out, but you don't know squat! So why don't you just stick with what you're good at; healing people. Hurry up and get me back up on my feet again so that you can leave."

"Well now, if that's how you want it," she said, instantly snapping back to her professional-like manner. "Then Mr. Malfoy I-"

"-DON'T call me that!"

"You want our relationship to be strictly business, then that is what I am going to call you. That _is_ your name after all… So," she continued. "I need to go and talk to my boss to get permission for a leave in order to stay here and take care of you for another weeks or so. I shouldn't be gone too long. All I ask is that you stay put. If you need anything, there is a bell there on the bedside table. Ring it and someone will come up to assist you with whatever it is you need."

"Whatever. Just go so that you can get back. I don't wish to be left here alone with these people more than what is necessary," he said.

"Humph!" Saleena turned her nose up at him and walked out of the room. "Stupid, ignorant, spoiled little brat!" She was muttering to herself as she walked down the stairs. "If he tries anything smart, I swear I'll make him pay! How dare he threaten to tell -"

"- Is everything alright?" A voice greeted her at the bottom of the stairs, breaking into her rants. She hadn't realized that she was speaking out loud. Oops!

"Mr. Weasley!" she exclaimed. "You frightened me. Yes, yes, everything is fine. Just fine. He's awake, in case you hadn't noticed. I think he's going to be perfectly fine though. He feels well enough right now to argue, that's for sure!"

"What did he say to you?" Aurthur asked.

"Oh nothing. He's just being Draco, that's all," Saleena shrugged. "Anyways, I really need to go before Dr. Nelson leaves the office. I shall return soon. Draco will need to be fed while I am away. Something light, like a soup or something. Nothing big, his stomach cant handle much yet."

"Alright, we'll give him something," Aurthur promised. "Don't you worry about a thing Miss. Saleena. Just go and get what you need to get done."

"Thank you Aurthur," she said with a nod. "I will be back shortly." Then she walked out of the living room, through the kitchen and out the front door. Vanishing at the end of the drive…


	5. Same Side Now

**Same Side Now**

About 20 minutes after Saleena had left the room, there came to be a knock at the door. Draco immediately hid his face under the covers. "Go away!" He demanded.

"Do you want to eat or not?" Someone answered in an annoyed tone. Draco _knew _that voice. He's recognize it anywhere.

His stomach growled. Again. "I am kind of hungry," he finally admitted. The door opened and Harry then came in carrying a tray of food. "Just bring that in and set it down on the bedside table, Potter. Then you can turn around and walk yourself right back out of here," he growled from underneath the covers.

Harry glared at the lump of covers in which Draco was hiding under. "I live here now, for your information," he spat. "And if you think that you can just order me around like you did when we were in school, you've got another thing coming to you Malfoy. I _don't_ have to listen to you, so don't even try it!"

"Look, I am not in the mood for another lecture right now, Potter. So please just set the food on the table and leave," he practically begged.

"I was told that you had a broken leg and that you were going to need help sitting up to eat this."

"I don't need help from the likes of you!"

"Look," Harry began. "I am trying to be the bigger person and be nice to you, but you are making this very difficult. I understand that you have been through a lot Malfoy and I am honestly just trying to help you out a bit. I mean you no harm, I promise."

"Saint Potter, always trying to do the right thing! How noble of you," he sneered. "Don't think that I don't see past that kind exterior of yours. I know that the only reason you offered to bring that soup up here was so you could get the scoop for your little friends. I'm sure they're both getting a real good laugh out of all this."

"My god Malfoy, is that what you really think?" Harry asked incredulously. "That I just came up here to laugh at you? Well you're wrong! For your information, I think that Voldemort is a sick, demented monster who must be stopped! I don't think that _anything_ he does is funny and I know that he tortured you for three months. Why would I think that something like that is funny?"

"I don't know how your mind works Potter. But I do know that I _don't_ need your help. I can feed myself, thank you very much. Now just set it down and leave." He then heard Harry cross the room and set the tray down on the table but he didn't hear him leave. "You can go away anytime now Potter."

"But Draco, I _want_ to help you," Harry said softly.

"Why?" Draco snarled.

"I don't know, I just do! Maybe Ron was right, maybe I am crazy."

"Well even I could have told you _that_ Potter. I've known you were crazy since the first time I met you."

Harry chuckled. "Well you're not so sane yourself, you know."

Draco laughed a little too. It made his head hurt and he winced in pain. He placed one hand on his forehead and groaned.

"Are you okay?" Harry really did sound concerned now.

"F-fine. I'm just fine," Draco lied through clenched teeth.

"You don't sound fine," Harry stated. "Isn't there anything I can do for you?"

"If you really want to help _that_ much Potter, then you can start by leaving me alone! It's your fault my head is hurting so bad right now. All you've done is make things worse. _Why _can't you just listen for once in your life and leave me the hell alone!" Draco was practically yelling now."I don't want your help. I'm not even hungry anymore so just _go away!"_

Harry heard sniffles coming from under the blanket. As hard as it was to believe, there was no mistaking the sound. Draco Malfoy was crying. _'He must really be in a lot of pain,' _Harry thought to himself. He was determined to find out what was wrong with Draco, so he retaliated. "How did _I_ make your head hurt? I haven't even touched you!"

"You're so stupid, I just couldn't help but to laugh at you," Draco spat. "And it hurts too much to laugh right now because I have a splitting headache. However, you made me so angry that I forgot _not_ to laugh. You're just altogether annoying and I wish you would just go and leave me alone!"

"Well, I am not going anywhere." Harry stood his ground. "Not until you can give me one good reason why I _should _leave."

Draco threw the covers off and pushed himself up into as best a sitting position as he could manage. "Look at me!" he yelled. "Do I _look_ like I want to sit here and argue with you all night?"

Harry's mouth gaped open in shock as he took in Draco's appearance. He was terribly thin and pale, more pale than usual. There were several bruises covering both his arms. But perhaps the most frightening thing of all were his eyes. Deep, dark circles had formed under those hauntingly grey eyes. They were sunk in, giving Draco an eerie, on-edge look. He was missing small tufts of hair in several places. (Harry could only assume that he had pulled it out himself whilst being tortured by Voldemort.) To be quite honest, Draco's appearance frightened Harry more than it made him want to laugh. From under the covers, Harry had thought that he was talking to the same old Draco Malfoy he knew from Hogwarts. But he knew at once that this wasn't the same Malfoy. _This Malfoy_ was different; meaner, tougher, sadder, weaker and in more desperate need of help than he ever had been while they were in school together. Harry commended Draco for enduring all that he had and managing to come out of it alive. Draco really was strong, of that Harry was certain. But looking at him now, he couldn't help but to feel sorry for him.

"I am in a lot of pain right now Potter, not that you care," Draco assumed. "All I want to do is grab a bite to eat and then lay back down so that I can get some rest."

"I-I'm sorry Draco," Harry said, shaking his head. "I didn't know how bad…"

"Go ahead, laugh it up," Draco spat. "I know you want to."

"I don't think this is funny at all. To be quite honest, it makes me sick to my stomach!"

"It sure is nice to know that I make you want to throw up, potter" Draco said sarcastically. "Truth be told, you have the same effect on me at times."

"No no, it's not like that," Harry explained, ignoring Draco's last comment. "It's just that, well, how could Voldemort do something like this? And to you of all people! Doesn't he like, _love_ your father? And how on earth did you survive all that?"

Draco cracked a dark smile. "The Dark Lord _did _love my father, Potter. Until you and your little friends came along and ruined everything! If you would have just given him the prophecy, then Voldemort never would have gotten so mad. And _this," _he pointed at himself, "thisis what happens to people when Voldemort gets mad. Because of _you, _my father got sent to Azkaban. After that, Voldemort took me away from my mother and started planting all these crazy thoughts into my head. The worst part of it all is that I actually _believed_ him in the beginning! I fell for his tricks and I got myself in _way_ over my head. Before I knew it, he was forcing me to kill Dumbledore, threatening to kill both me and my mother if I should not succeed, or disobey his orders. When I did fail, he locked me up, started starving me, and made it a point to fuck with my head every single day afterwards! It was all like a game to him. Any time he would invent a new spell or curse, I would be his guinea pig. Every single day I would wake up wishing that _this _would be the day that he would finally do me in so that I wouldn't have to be subjected to anymore of his sick games. But somehow or another, I always managed to survive whatever he put me through…" Draco trailed off momentarily, shuddering at the memory of it all. Harry was speechless, so he just sat there and waited for Draco to continue.

"I haven't even seen the light of day since the night that Snape killed Dumbledore," Draco went on, "which was over three months ago! You have cost me a lot Potter. You have no idea how badly you've ruined my life!"

"Draco, I'm sorry if you think that _I_ caused all of this. But do you have any idea of what could have happened if Voldemort had heard that prophecy?" Harry snapped. "If you think things are bad now, you have no idea how bad they actually could be!"

"You talk as if you've actually heard what it says Potter," Draco pointed out.

"That's because I have," Harry shot back. "I know what it says and, trust me, if Voldemort had heard it we'd be in a head-on, fully-open war right now! Is that what you want?"

"Of coarse not," Draco said defensively. "I hope that he meets his end and soon. The sooner the better even! And I also hope that I'm there when it happens. Contrary to popular belief, I do not want Voldemort to win this war!"

Harry was momentarily taken aback. "You don't?"

"No!" Draco yelled. "Hell no! Do you have any idea what he is planning to do if he gains control of the ministry?"

"No," Harry answered honestly. "The Order hasn't got a clue right now _what_ he's up to."

"Well I do," Draco stated. "And it isn't pretty Potter. It isn't pretty at all!"

Harry cocked his head to one side, giving Draco a curious look. _'He actually has information that we don't know. Information that we need. Aurthur was right, Draco might be of some use to us. If that's the case, then I guess I _have _to be nice to him after all. Dang it!'_

"What are you looking at?" Draco asked sharply.

"Hu? Oh, nothing. Sorry. Just thinking."

"About what?" Draco eyed Harry suspiciously.

"About how we're going to be on the same side now. If you honestly hate Voldemort so much so that you want him dead, then that makes you one of us. Like it or not, we're a team now Draco, you and I," Harry explained. "That being said, I think it's time we put aside our past differences and try to get along for a change. We can't win in a fight against Lord Voldemort if we're too busy bickering amongst ourselves all the time." Harry extended an arm to Draco, offering to shake his hand. "So what do you say? Truce?"

Draco stared at Harry's outstretched hand. _'What kind of world is this? My world has been turned upside-down! I'm flat broke, living with the Weasley's and Harry Potter is offering to be my friend! Everything has gone to the dogs! This is so unreal!' _he slowly shook his head. But isn't this what he had wanted for a long time now, for Harry to accept him as a friend? Saleena was right after all, he did hate to be rejected. But if that was the case, then why was he being so hesitant? After all, Harry Potter was standing there in front of him, waiting to shake his hand. He was finally accepting Draco at last, yet Draco was scared to shake his hand. _'How can I be afraid of rejection, yet scared of acceptance at the same time? This doesn't make any sense!' _He was so confused. It was all so easy, _too_ _easy, _just to reach out and take his hand. "I-I don't know Potter," he murmured. "I just don't think that I can let all that stuff go, just like that."

Harry's jaw dropped in shock. "What do you mean _you _can't let all it go? If I'm not mistaken, you were the bully and we were the victims half the time!"

"Exactly," Draco agreed. "I was horrible to you. And Ron. And Granger. I don't deserve your forgiveness and I especially do not deserve your friendship. I can't just let it go, Harry. I can't."

Harry smiled at him. "You could you know," he stated. "You just don't want to because you still feel guilty about it all. But the fact that you are showing remorse for the things you have done is good enough for me." Harry shrugged. "At least now I know that you're not the big, fat, heartless, insensitive git that I always thought you were! You regret what you did, and that's that. I can let it go. No apologies necessary."

"An apology _is _necessary though Harry, and I just can't bring myself to do it. Not right now anyways."

Harry gasped and dramatically put hand over his mouth, pretending to have just gotten the shock of his life. "Oh my god, did you just call me Harry?"

"Very funny," Draco chuckled. "Look, I really do appreciate the offer and all, but too much has happened to me in the past week. I already have a lot to deal with as it is right now, so _please_ don't ask me to do this right now," he practically begged. "I will take you up on your offer though, eventually. I promise. Just not now. Because when I do, I want it to be because it's something I _want _to do. Not because it's something I feel like I _have _to do. You know what I mean?"

Harry nodded. "Yes Draco, I know _exactly_ what you mean. And oddly enough, I'm okay with that. You know, when I decided that I wasn't going back to Hogwarts last year, I must admit that I never thought I'd see you again. In fact, I downright wished that we would _never_ meet again," he confessed. "But now as it is, I'm kinda glad we get to be on the same side for a change."

Draco could not believe what he was hearing. "You are?"

"Yeah, I am," Harry nodded. "I mean, look at us! We're actually having a _normal_ conversation. I dunnow," Harry shrugged his shoulders again. "I guess it just sortta feels nice to not have to always be fighting for a change. It's peaceful even…"

Draco leaned back on the pillows and sighed. "I hate to admit it, but you're right Potter. It is nice to not be fighting for a change. To have a break." Draco's stomach growled again, reminding him of how long it had been since he had eaten anything decent. He chuckled to himself and placed a hand on his growling belly. "That soup still warm?" he asked.

Harry smiled and used his wand to reheat the soup. "It is now."

"Good," he said, pushing himself back up again. "Because I am -" He broke off and howled in pain as his foot fell off the pillow again. Having remembered this from the last incident, Harry rushed over and carefully propped Draco's leg back up on the pillow.

Draco took 3 long, deep breaths to steady himself. "Thanks," he whimpered.

"Here, let me help you up." And without another word, Harry put his arm behind Draco and helped pull him up into a sitting position, being careful to move the pillow under his leg along with them. Then he placed the tray in Draco's lap. Draco smiled weakly at him before diving into the soup, gulping it down as fast as he could.

It was delicious! The best soup he had ever had. When he was done Harry took the tray away and helped Draco to lay back down. Draco accepted his help without any more arguments. As Harry turned to leave, Draco said, "Thanks Potter. Maybe you're not so bad after all."

Harry smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you. You might not be so bad yourself Malfoy. Now get some rest." Then he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He jumped as he nearly ran into Ron on the platform, catching himself as he almost dropped the tray of china he was holding. "Ron, what are you doing? You nearly scared the hell out of me!"

Ron looked at him skeptically. "Nearly?" he taunted.

"You know what I mean!" he snapped. "What were you thinking?"

"I could ask you the same question, Harry Ron hissed. "I heard that! _Why_ are you being so nice to Malfoy? I can't believe you!"

"Ron, now is not the time for this."

"You wait till Hermione hears about this," he continued, ignoring Harry altogether. "She is going to have a fit!"

"Look Ron," Harry cut in. "I know this isn't easy, but we _have _to be nice to him. Like it or not, he's on our side now. And besides, he has information that we need!"

"But Harry, this is _Draco_ _Malfoy_ we're talking about here! He doesn't have a nice bone in his body. So what should _we_ be nice to _him_ for?"

"Because we're at war, Ron, don't you get it?" Harry growled. "And as it stands right now, we're loosing! The order is running out of funds, everyone is tired, we've suffered our own casualties, and on top of all that, we _still _have no idea what Voldemort is up to! He always seems to be one step ahead of us on _everything! _We're running out time and we need all the help we can get right now. Ron, Draco may actually be able to help us. Aurthur was right to give him shelter here. It is _exactly_ what Dumbledore would have done! Draco's been through a lot more than I could ever imagine having to live through. You didn't have to see what I just did! It's bad Ron, _really_ bad."

"Yeah, well don't expect _me_ to feel sorry for him," Ron retorted. "After all, he's the one who got himself mixed up with Death Eaters in the first place. And he thought he was being all cool! HA," he laughed. " I bet he isn't bragging about it now, is he?"

"No, he's definitely not bragging," Harry stated.

Ron took a moment to study Harry. "You're actually serious?"

"No Ron, I'm Harry!" he chuckled.

"Oh haha, Harry" Ron mused. "Very funny. You know what I mean!"

"No Ron, I'm afraid I don't. What exactly _do _you mean?"

"I mean, are you actually being serious about _us_ being nice to Draco?"

"Oh, that, yes!" said Harry. "Yes, I am entirely serious about that."

"But Harry, _why?" _

"Have I not explained it well enough for you? Do you need me to draw you out a picture? Or perhaps conjure up a map to help you understand it?" Harry jeered. "I hate Voldemort, _you_ hate Voldemort, the Order hates Voldemort, and Draco hates Voldemort. We all hate Voldemort! Therefore, we are all on the _same side! _This isn't brain science, Ron, it's not that difficult! Why are you making this so difficult?"

Ron finally lost his cool. "Because he called Hermione a Mudblood," he yelled. "He hates her and I am not just going to sit back and watch him _pretend_ to like her so mum & dad will let him stay here! Draco's probably only just _pretending_ to like all of us, Harry. He's nothing but a fake and I refuse to believe, even for one second, that he has changed a bit!" Ron hadn't realized exactly how loud he was shouting until a voice rang out from the other side of the closed door behind Harry.

"Don't think I cant hear you out there, weasel king! Why don't you come in here and say that to my face!" Draco challenged.

Ron glared past Harry, at the door behind him. "Oh, I'll come in there alright!" he shouted. "And when I do, I'll teach you a lesson for talking to me like that inside my own home. How dare you!" He took one step forwards.

"Ron, _no!" _Harry put a hand out to stop his best friend from advancing any further.

"Get out of my way, Harry" he growled.

"No! Ron, you have to stop this _right now,_" Harry urged. "Be the bigger person!"

"But Harry, I'm only trying to be nice, you know," Ron said a little too sarcastically.

Harry looked at Ron skeptically. "Like hellyou are!"

"Oh but I am. Because you see, our lovely guest has just invited me into his room. It would be rude of me to decline his invitation." Ron was being extremely sarcastic now, a sign that Harry knew was never good.

"Let him come through Harry," Draco called out. "I promise, I wont hurt him. Not physically anyways."

"Is that at threat?" Ron yelled, taking another step forwards. "Stand aside Harry, please." Ron was reaching his breaking point.

"Not helping Draco," Harry muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes. "You guys are impossible!" he sighed. "But, I suppose this _has_ to happen eventually in order for us to move on." Harry stepped aside, unblocking the door, the he lowered his voice so that only Ron could hear him. "Get everything out of your system now, Ron, so that this can all be worked out. And try not to hurt him. He's already suffered enough."

Ron smirked at Harry as he passed by him. Placing a hand on the doorknob, he turned back to Harry. "You coming in?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "Nah, you go on. I'll just wait here and let you two work things out on your own."

Ron chuckled. "It's flattering Harry, really, that you would trust me enough to leave me alone in a room with an injured Draco Malfoy. I appreciate the support."

Harry clapped Ron on the shoulder. "Well you're a big boy now, Ron. I think you can handle it."

"Ha ha, Harry," he said again

"What the hell is taking you so long, Weasley? I thought you were supposed to be teaching me a lesson right now," Draco taunted.

"Oh, he is asking for it!" Ron turned the knob and burst through the door. "You better shut up, Malfoy!"

Draco was lying in the shadows with his back to Ron. "I believe you had something that you wanted to say to my face out there in the hallway."

Ron thought for a moment, trying to remember the exact conversation. "Well there were quite a few things really. Which part did you want repeated?"

"You can start with the part about me having not changed one bit," Draco said.

"Oh that, well it's true! I don't believe you are capable of changing your ways," said Ron. "You're a spoiled, pampered little brat and that's all you'll ever be."

"You better take that back. Or else!"

"Or else what?" Ron challenged. "I know for a fact that you have a broken leg and that you can't get out of that bed because of it! You aren't supposed to move it off that pillow or it could get messed up even more. So what exactly do you plan on doing to me if I _don't_ take it back?"

Draco shook his head in frustration. "You're wrong! Completely! You have NO idea what you're even talking about! I can change. I _have _changed! I am not the same person you went to school with."

"No, you're right, you're not," Ron casually agreed. "Now you're even worse because now, you've spent time hanging out with Voldemort and doing his dirty work."

"Well, you're right about one thing, Weasley," Draco hissed. "It was dirty work! But I didn't _want_ to do it, I was _forced_ to do it! So you really need to learn how to get your facts straight."

"Yeah right, like I'm gonna fall for one of your little tricks! You might have been able to fool my dad and Harry, but I am not buying into your excuses, Malfoy" Ron sneered.

"Excuses? You really have no idea, do you? _You_ try spending a day with Voldemort and try refusing whatever it is he asks you to do, and lets see how you come out," Draco snarled. "You really can't refuse a direct order from him and expect to survive. It's just not possible."

"Well you're still alive," Ron said, stating the obvious.

"And lucky to be so! I would be dead right now if it wasn't for my ma-mo-mother," Draco stuttered, his eyes started to fill with tears again. He pushed the back, determined not to cry in front of Ron Weasley.

"Oh, so you had to have your mommy save you, did you? That's pretty pathet-"

The door behind Ron cracked open and Harry poked his head inside. "Ron, may I have a word please?" He interrupted sternly.

Ron frowned at him. "Right now, Harry? We're kind of in the middle of a conversation here."

"Yes, _now, _Ron," Harry insisted. "This is important!"

Ron glared at Draco who still wasn't looking at him. "I'll be back." Then he stepped back out into the hall with Harry.

"What the hell were you thinking, Ron?" Harry asked as soon as the door was shut. "Have you no tact whatsoever?"

Ron was confused, as always. "What do you mean, what was I thinking? What the hell did I do?"

"Bringing up his mother like that! After what happened, how could you? I can't even believe you would go there! How low are you trying to bring him exactly?" Harry wondered.

"Whoa, Harry, slow down," Ron cut Harry's ranting short. "I have no idea what you're even talking about. What happened exactly?"

"Ron, Voldemort killed Draco's mother the night he was brought here," Harry explained. "Weren't you listening when your father told us about that?"

"Actually, no," Ron admitted. "I really didn't hear much after he told us that Draco Malfoy was going to be our house guest." Ron chuckled to himself. "I guess my mind was just to shocked to absorb much of anything else after that!"

"Well, you need to pay more attention to what people are telling you, Ron" Harry sighed. "Apparently Narcissa Malfoy died protecting Draco from Voldemort's killing curse. She ran in front of it, taking on the full force of the attack."

"Oh." Said Ron, slightly shocked. "So Draco saw the whole thing then," Ron stated. It wasn't a question. Ron shook his head and sighed. "Aww man, now I feel like a jerk!"

"So go back in there and apologize then," Harry offered. Ron gave him a dirty look, and without another word, he turned and reentered Draco's room, still shaking his head in disbelief.

Now Draco was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He heard Ron come back in. "Come back to insult my mother some more, have you?"

"No I haven't, and I am so sorry I ever said that. It was a mistake on my part. But Draco, I had no idea-"

"You're right," Draco yelled, cutting him off sharply. "You have _no _idea! You haven't got a clue what my life has been like! You don't know what I've been through! You don't know anything about me! You think you've got me all figured out, but you don't know shit!"

"Look, I'm trying really hard to be a man here, and admit that I was wrong," Ron said with forced calmness. "But you're making this whole apologizing thing _very_ hard right now. I didn't know that your mother was dead, for if I had known that, I never would have brought her up in the conversation. And for that, I am very sorry Draco. However, I completely meant all of the other things I said about you. You _are _just a spoiled little rich kid, and you will never be able to change your ways!"

"And you're just an annoying git who is angry at the world for dealing you, what you call the short-end of the stick," Draco retaliated. "You take everything that happens to you out on everybody else and people resent you for that, you know. _You're_ the one who's never going to change, Weasley. You will always be a stubborn, rude and annoyingly arrogant prat who thinks he's better than everyone else just because he's best friends with the famous Harry Potter!"

"How dare you!" Ron raged.

"I only call them as I see them Weasel King."

"AARRRRGGGGH," Ron clenched fistfuls of his hair in frustration. "You have _no _idea how badly I wanna punch you in the face right now!"

"Go ahead, come over here and do it then," Draco challenged.

"I'd never kick a man when he's already down. I'm not like you and your father." Ron smiled at the angry look Draco was giving him. "Hey, I'm only calling it as I see it," he said, throwing Draco's words back in his face. Draco didn't say a word, he just looked at Ron and shook his head. "What, no comment?" Ron jeered.

"What's the point?" Draco snapped.

"So does this mean I won?" Ron asked.

"You are so unbelievable!" Draco yelled. "Can you not see that I really don't care about winning or loosing this argument with you? Either way, I know that I'm right, so it doesn't matter! If it will get you the hell up out here then yes! Yes, you just won, Weasley. Congratulations!"

"You just need to calm yourself down because I'll be damned if I am going to be spoken to in that manner in my own house! You have no right to snap at me like that. If I really wanted to be a jerk right now, I could have you chucked outta here in a minute," Ron threatened. "My parents will listen to me and if I tell them that I don't want you living here, they'll get rid of you for sure."

"So do it then," Draco snapped. "Go run to mommy and daddy because you cant solve your own problems yourself!" Ron stared at Draco, appalled by what he was hearing. Draco ignored the look he was getting and went on. "I mean, we're not in school anymore, Ron. It's time you grow the fuck up! You seriously need to learn how to figure things out for yourself because mommy & daddy wont always be around to help you. This is the real world we live in now and it sucks! It's hard, and it hurts, and you don't always get a happy ending. So go ahead, tell them to get rid of me! I really don't care anymore what happens to me honestly."

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Ron raged.

"You really wanna know what's the matter with me? I'll tell you what," Draco roared. "I just lost both of my parents last week for starters. My mother was murdered by Voldemort. And my father, although he may still be alive in the living sense, he is dead to me! I want nothing more to do with that man as long as I live. I never want to see him or talk to him again! I hate him-"

"You seriously expect me to believe that?"" Ron interrupted. "Look at you! You are Lucious Malfoy's clone! I mean, you act _just_ _like_ him! You've always worshiped your stupid father, so why stop now?"

"Because he lied to me!" Draco screamed. "He _gave _me to Voldemort the day I was born. That's how I ended up with this stupid Dark Mark In the first place. I found out that I was a mistake! My parents didn't want me. They weren't even trying to have a baby, it was an accident. Voldemort was going to kill me, but then my father told him that he could have me on the day I came of age. And since Voldemort doesn't have children of his own, he accepted. You see," he went on, "in his eyes, he was getting a real treat. He got to have a kid without having to do any of the dirty work involved with raising a child. But my father never told me any of this! He was in Azkaban, thanks to you and Harry and your stupid little friends, and I wasn't allowed to see my mother because of the Dumbledore incident. So on the day I turned 17, I officially belonged to Voldemort and I was the only one still in the dark about what was happening. Although Voldemort made me believe that this was the life I wanted, and I may have thought that it was my decision, it never was. When it comes down to it, I really had no say in the matter whatsoever.

"

"Whoa," Ron muttered. "You really are messed up! I had no idea about all that. I'm sorry Draco." And he really was. He felt a little bit bad now for giving Draco such a hard time about his father. "But it doesn't change anything between us," he quickly added.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Whatever Weasley," he said. "This is what I meant when I said that you don't know anything about me! You think you have me all figured out, but you are sadly mistaken." Draco started ranting again and this time, Ron didn't try to stop him. "I mean, can you even fathom that sort of betrayal? Hell no you can't, because you're father actually loves you! Mine lied to me. My entire life he's been lying to me! He also promised the Dark Lord that I would be the BEST Death Eater he ever had. I was _forced _into this, Weasley! _FORCED! _It isn't like I _chose_ any of this! So how dare you even claim that I actually enjoyed doing Voldemort's _dirty work, _as you called it." Draco stopped ranting and the room grew deadly silent.

'_I don't believe it,'_ Ron thought to himself. _'I _can't_ believe it! Draco is the victim? How in the hell did that happen? And I actually feel kinda bad for him! That's odd. But he is right about one thing; I _can't_ imagine how I'd feel if my father did something like that to me. Of coarse, I know he would never. But still, if he ever did, I would feel betrayed." _Ron cleared his throat and said, "Draco I'm sorry about your mother and I-I'm… well, I'm shocked to hear about your father. I always thought that you and him were close."

"Yeah, well so did I," Draco said darkly.

"But that doesn't change anything between us," Ron added quickly.

There was another short awkward silence between them, broken by Draco who rudely blurted, "do you have anything else you'd like to throw in my face tonight, Weasel King?"

Ron glared down at Draco. "And to think, for a minute there I almost felt bad for you. But then I woke up and remembered what a right foul git you are. Why don't you stop trying to make me feel sorry for you because it isn't going to work."

"I'm not trying to make you feel sorry for me you moron," Draco laughed. "Like I _need_ your pity! Pity is the last thing I want. From anybody!"

"I can tell right now that this conversation is going nowhere fast" Ron stated. "How stupid was I to ever think that you deserved a moment of _my _time? I rightly don't give a damn what Harry says, I'll never stop hating you! So why even pretend to try anymore when there is no point to it?"

"You know I do intend to prove you wrong," Draco said softly, acting as though Ron hadn't said anything at all.

"Oh yeah?" Ron challenged. "And how do you plan on doing that exactly?"

"By showing you that I _can _change. I can be different than the world expects me to be. I already am different, your just too blind by your own imagery of me to see it right now." Ron scoffed at Draco's comment on him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I mean, sure, I could have been a little bit more polite to you today," he continued. "But this is all new to me and I need some time to adjust. I do plan to apologize for everything I've done to you Weasley, but today is not the day for that. Eventually, I will say my _'I'm-_sorries_' _to everyone here whom I have ever wronged."

"Oh yeah, and do you plan on apologizing to Hermione for calling her a mudblood all those times?" Ron yelled. "Don't expect me to believe that you've changed your opinions on blood, Draco. I know you way better than that!"

"I do plan to apologize to her, yes," he answered, doing his best to remain calm. "And it's true, you do have a point" he acknowledged, speaking more to himself than to Ron. "It will be very hard to start viewing Granger as an actual person." Ron snarled at this remark, but Draco ignored him still and went on. "But what can you expect from me Weasley? I was raised to believe that people like _her_ didn't deserve to live, that they were all tarnishing the existence of us pure-bloods. I don't know any different because my father never taught me anything different! However, I have recently come to realize that a lot of the things my father ever said to me or taught to me were lies. He was wrong about everything and I now refuse to believe a word he ever said to me! He is nothing but a liar! Therefore, who's to say that he wasn't lying when he told me that all muggle-borns were the scum-of-the-earth and that the needed to be _taken care of _and disposed of properly? My entire life I have believed that lie, so it is going to take me a while before I can apologize to her. What you must understand is that I just found out that everything I was ever told, everything I was ever taught and everything I ever believed to be true; is a lie! And now, not only do I have to re-structure my entire way of living, but also my entire way of thinking. Believe me, I do intend to apologize to Granger in due time. And when I do, I can only hope that she can see things from my point-of-view and find it in her heart to forgive me, unlike how I know that her fiancé never will."

It took Ron a moment to realize that Draco was referring to him. "You're damn right I wont! And I'll probably never be able to fully stop hating you either," he snarled. "Look, here's how it is; this house is the _only_ place Harry, Hermione and I have left to which we can go to and find any real peace at all. The three of us are all tired and stressed out and, on the rare occasions that we _do_ get to come back here, even for a few days, we enjoy having a bit of quiet relaxation time before going back to dealing with the harsh reality that comes along with this stupid war! Hermione and I love each other so much and we barley get any time to ourselves anymore and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you come in here and ruin what little peace we have left!"

"Well I wouldn't expect anything less out of you, Weasley" Draco shot back. "I don't expect anything out of anyone anymore. And I especially don't expect people to ever change their opinions of me, for that would be hoping for far too much! Everyone in this ministry is exactly the same, afraid of change and scared of the unexpected. They don't trust that which they cannot figure out, and _no_ _one_ can figure me out. I don't expect people to like me, let alone _love_ me. No one has ever loved me, no one except my mother that is. And even she was never allowed to show it, not in front of _him _anyways. My father never allowed us to express our feelings because he considered it to be a sign of weakness. Mother resented him for being so cold all the time, yet she also loved that man with every fiber of her being. I never believed that he was even capable of love and I could never understand how or why she married him. But then again, I will never understand the concepts of _love. _I don't even know if it really exists, but I do know that it will most likely never exist for me. I'm cursed to be miserable for the rest of my life because anyone who tries to get close to me ends up being taken away and _why _am I telling you this? It's not like _you_ care!"

"No, you're right, I don't. But your patheticness does make for a good laugh though," Ron chuckled at his own joke. "And do you want to know something else? I rightly don't give a damn who's side you're on now, if it really is _our side. _I don't see how you could ever be of any use to us at all, even if you do have information the Order needs. I know for a fact that there is only _one_ way Voldemort can be defeated, and trust me, no amount of information can permanently put a stop to his tirade! It doesn't matter what you say, in the end it will never be enough to bring him down. So why even bother? It isn't like you will ever be able to make any difference anyway."

Draco was irritated with Ron and highly exhausted. The argument had taken it's toll on him and he wanted to do nothing more than take a nice relaxing nap. However, he also simply could not let Ron in on just how agitated he really was. For if Ron knew that he could get under Draco's skin so easily, he would never leave Draco alone. So he yawned, hoping to off show how incredibly board he was with the conversation. "I was looking forwards to chatting with _you_ most of all, Weasley," he said. "I do love a good challenge every once in a while, but all you have done is continuously repeat yourself throughout this entire, erm, lovely exchange. I grow board of listening to the same useless rambles over, and over again. Is this conversation quite finished yet?"

"I guess so," Ron confirmed. "I have nothing left to say to you. So long as you promise to keep your mouth off of Hermione for the duration of your stay here, then I guess we have nothing left to discuss. You stay in here and get better, change yourself all you want. Meanwhile, I will leave this room and continue hating you from out there, as far w=away from you as possible!."

Draco shrugged. "Fine by me. Tell Granger I said hello."

Ron glared at him. "She does have a first name you know. It's Hermione! Why don't you try using it once in a while?"

"Look," Draco said firmly. "My head hurts, my throat is sore, my leg is throbbing, I'm doped up on pain medications and I'm so exhausted, the room is starting to spin. I really don't feel like arguing with you anymore so why don't you just pack up your attitude and leave."

"Whatever Malfoy!" he raged. "Just stay in here and enjoy not being loved!" Then he stormed out of the room, leaving Draco alone in the dark with a look as if he had just been slapped plastered on his face. Harry was still waiting for him in the hallway. Ron pushed past him without a word and continued to climb to the next landing where the door to his room sat.

Once Harry and Ron were both in their shared room alone, Harry started. "That was not a very nice conversation, Ron."

"Didn't you hear me?" Ron snapped. "I don't care what you think about him Harry! _I hate him! _He is so infuriating and nothing you can say will make me change my mind! I tried giving him the benefit if the doubt at first Harry, but you can't be reasonable with the spawn of Satan! He has no interest in making amends with me and I have no desire whatsoever to be his buddy!"

"You don't have to be his best mate, Ron. That's not what I'm asking at all! I just want the two of you to be civil to one another. We're not children anymore and the two of you are acting highly immature," Harry shot back.

"Like I said, I rightly don't give a damn! It's in my blood to hate him you know," he said dismissively. "My father hates his father and all, so in a way, I was kinda destined to hate him."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night Ron. I guess I can be thankful that you at least tried."

"You're absolutely right," Ron nodded. "I did try. I put forth the effort and that's all I can do. You're lucky I even did that!"

"You're right, Ron," Harry agreed. He knew there was no point in arguing with him anymore. "Thank you for trying. I guess time will have to work things out now. Who know what will come of all this."

"Yeah, who knows?" Ron repeated. "Maybe I'll end up killing him before this is all over with."

"Ron!"

"What? I'm sorry Harry, but old habits die hard you know." Harry just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Look," Ron continued. "If it makes you feel any better, then I promise to be on my best behavior whenever I happen to be in the same room as him. However, I am still going to dog on him behind his back as much as I want to. You cant take that away from me, Harry! Is that a deal?"

Harry considered Ron for a moment. "At least it's a start," he said at last.

Ron smiled, happy to have finally reached an agreement with his best mate. "The thought of me ever being buddy-buddy with Draco Malfoy is nearly impossible anyways."

"Ron, we practically _live _on impossible!" Harry laughed but Ron didn't seem to get it. As usual.

"How so?" he asked.

"Well finding the horcruxes is proving to be impossible. The thought of me, as insignificant and as inexperienced as I am, being able to defeat Voldemort, the most evil wizard the world has ever known, when not even Dumbledore could escape him, is nigh impossible. The fact that we think we can outrun him forever is impossible."

"Alright, alright, I get it!"

"Some days I just feel like giving up. It's like nothing we do is good enough! We haven't even found a single horcrux yet and we still have no clue who R.A.B. is. We don't even have a lead yet. Sometimes I feel like we're kidding ourselves, thinking that if we find all seven we'll actually be able to kill Lord Voldemort. The prophecy clearly states that I have to be the one to kill him, but I can't bear the thought of facing him alone."

Harry, that's enough!" Ron exclaimed. "How many times do you have to be told? Hermione and I are with you till the end! And we do have an advantage you know, with Hermione on our side. She really is the brightest witch of our age. She may even be more clever than Voldemort. She loves solving puzzles and that's what this all is to her; one giant mystery puzzle. I know Hermione and she will not rest until it is solved! We are going to find all the Horcruxes together, and then we are all going to bring Voldemort down _together_, as a team Harry! The two of us aren't going anywhere so quit griping about being all alone, geeze!"

Ron smiled at Harry. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem mate," Ron shrugged. "So, how long do you recon we'll be staying here this time?"

Harry sighed. "I don't really know Ron. A few days, maybe even weeks. A month tops. I haven't really given much thought to what our next move should be and we need to come up with a plan. What do you think?"

And so the two of them sat in the room and talked, brainstormed, planed and schemed the rest of the evening until finally turning in for the night…


	6. At The Kitchen Table

~At the Kitchen Table~

**It was late that night when Saleena returned and everyone was in bed, so she let herself in. She went upstairs and started tending to Draco at once, apologizing for the late hour. She had finally convinced her boss to let her stay an extra 2 weeks so that she could help Draco get back up on his feet again. During the coarse of those weeks, Saleena really started to come out of her shell. Her and Harry got along extremely well, and much to Molly's amazement, not only was Saleena actually joining them for dinner now, but she even stayed to help clean up the kitchen afterward. Things were well at the Burrow and by the middle of Saleena's second week there, Draco was up walking around. However, he was rarely seen for he spent most of his time alone in Percy's old room. **

**To be honest, Saleena was beginning to grow attached to all of them. She loved being there and being around the Weasley's family, they made her feel at home and she fit in with them quite easily. Draco had healed extraordinarily well, better than she ever could have hoped. To her, the time flew by way too fast and before she knew it, her final week had arrived. But she was not looking forward to leaving, she wanted to start looking for an excuse not to leave, but she knew she had to return to her real job eventually.**

**Little did Saleena know, Molly and Aurthur were making plans of their own to keep her around. They had both seen first-handed how incredibly gifted she was with healing and The Order **_**desperately**_** needed to find their own healer for their more private missions. It was hard to explain some instances to the officials at St. Mungo's, which is why things would be so much easier if they had their own private Healer on their side. They suspected that Voldemort had to have one of his own, seeing how as St. Mungo's did not offer treatment to Death Eaters. So Molly and Aurthur brought it up to Minerva and, although she agreed that Saleena could potentially be **_**very**_** useful to them, there was still a matter of trust. The fact was, they hardly knew anything about her. That was the reason why they had all decided not to tell her that the Weasley's were at the center of all the Order's operations in the first place. No one knew weather she could keep a secret or not.**

**It was on her last Wednesday there that it happened. While everyone was gathered at the table for lunch, Tonks came bursting through the door, Remus following close behind her. "Never, in all of my life, have I ever been more insulted," She ranted.**

"**Dear, I've told you, it's going to be fine," Remus assured her. "Hello Molly, evening Aurthur. Sorry about the intrusion. She's a little worked up."**

"**A little?" Aurthur asked skeptically.**

**Molly got up from the table and walked over to Tonks, who was leaning up against the counter. "Tonks dear, what's happened?" She placed a hand on Tonks' shoulder.**

"**I'll tell you what's happening! Rufus is trying to replace me, that's what!"**

"**How many times do I have to repeat myself before you'll get it Dora?" Remus asked, exasperated. Apparently they had already had this argument before. "Rufus would never do something like that to you. You're the one with all the experience."**

"**Rufus is replacing her?" Molly couldn't believe what she was hearing.**

"**No!" Remus nearly shouted. "He practically promoted her today and now she's freaking out, fearing that he wants to replace her."**

"**But why would he give her a promotion if he was thinking about replacing her?" Molly asked.**

"**That's exactly my point!" Remus exclaimed.**

"**And besides," said Arthur, "who would he even get to replace her with?"**

"**A new hire," Remus explained. "Apparently this girl transferred here from out of the country and Rufus asked Tonks to be her mentor. Which was all fine and dandy until she found out that this new girl is a metamorphmagus too.**

"_**WHAT?" **_**Molly and Arthur both asked in unison. Metamorphmagi were extremely rare and if Rufus Scrimgeour had managed to get two of them on his force, then he was extremely fortunate.**

"**Have things really gotten **_**that**_** bad that they have to bring Aurors from other countries for backup?" Arthur questioned.**

"**And how on earth - no, **_**where **_**on earth did he find another metamorphmagus?" asked Molly in shock.**

"**I believe she said that the new girl was from America." He turned to Tonks. "Isn't that right dear?" **

**Tonks nodded in response to Remus' question. "And yes," she continued, answering Arthur's question as well. "It is getting **_**that bad**_**. Not too many people want to sign on for an Auror position anymore. No one has quit yet, but no one has joined up either. People are too afraid of having to face Voldemort to take on the position. And due to the war, we need a larger force than what we have. Especially with all the recent chaos that's been going on!"**

**Arthur shook his head and sighed. "This is not good. If Rufus is having to call in help from wizards in other countries, then that means he is beginning to loose control of the situation. If he looses his handle on things, we're all in trouble."**

"**Yes, I understand your point Aurthur," Remus agreed. "Which means that we may also want to think about enlarging **_**our **_**forces as well."**

"**Excellent point. Maybe we could even see if this new girl will join us."**

"**Um, hello" Tonks cut in. "Does anyone here even care how I feel? I'm the only one who has actually met her and trust me, the girl's a nut case! You wouldn't want her in the Order, she'd only be a hindrance."**

"**Nymphadora, hold your tongue!" Molly exclaimed.**

**Tonks gasped. "How **_**dare**_** you, Molly!"**

"**No, how dare **_**you!" **_**Molly retaliated. "Hello? Have you suddenly forgotten all our codes of secrecy? We are not alone in this kitchen!"**

**Tonks gave Molly a questioning look and for the first time surveyed the scene before her. Sure enough, Molly was right. There at the kitchen table sat Harry, Ron, Hermione, and two blonde people whom she had never met before. The boy was young, and he seemed to be a bit familiar to her, but she just couldn't place him. He did not look like he wanted to be her. The woman, however, was much older and extremely beautiful. She was smiling and appeared to have been listening very intently to their entire conversation. "Oops," she muttered.**

"**Yeah, oops is right!" Molly spat.**

**Tonks shrugged. "Who knows Molly, maybe they didn't even hear me."**

"**Oh we heard you," Saleena confirmed. "I'm sorry, Molly," she added quickly. "I wasn't trying to be rude or anything."**

**Molly glared at Tonks, then turned to Saleena and smiled. "You're fine Saleena, don't worry about it."**

"**Who are **_**they**_**?" Tonks asked.**

"**Well Tonks, Remus; that is Miss. Saleena Blackwell" Molly said, pointing at Saleena. "She's a Healer from St. Mungo's." Saleena got up and crossed the room to shake their hands. When she took hold of Remus' hand however, he grasped it firmly and, when she tried to take her hand away, he held it there. He was staring her directly in the eyes.**

**Saleena looked down, avoiding his gaze. "Excuse me, sir," she said politely. "I'd like to have my hand back now, if that's alright with you."**

"_**What **_**did you say your name was again?" he asked, still gripping her hand.**

"**Saleena. Saleena Blackwell."**

**Remus looked like he was facing a ghost. "I don't believe it, you're **_**her**_**. You're the Saleena he talked about all the time, aren't you?"**

"**I-I don't know who are you referring to," she stuttered.**

"**Sirius! Sirius Black. You were his childhood friend," Remus said. "The two of you were neighbors, weren't you?" **

**Saleena's jaw dropped in shock. "**_**How**_** do you know that?"**

"**Because Sirius used to talk about you all the time. Our entire first two years of school, you were constantly on his mind. It got kind of annoying after a while. He was pretty upset when you moved to France, you know."**

"_**You **_**went to school with Sirius?"**

"**Yeah, we were all best friends back then."**

"**Then you must be Remus Lupin," she stated. "Sirius talked about you all the time in his letters! Aren't you a werewolf?"**

**Lupin sighed and slowly lowered his hands, letting hers go finally. "Yes, that I am."**

"**I've heard about you. You and your wife have certainly made names for yourselves, haven't you?"**

**Remus and Tonks both chuckled. "That we have," Tonks answered.**

"**There's a rumor going around," Saleena began, "about the two of both being involved in the Order of the Phoenix. And I was wondering, is it true? Is that what you were all just talking about? The Order?"**

"**Erm…" Tonks looked to Molly for some help but Molly just scowled at her. Again.**

**Thankfully Remus was on top of the situation. "Why would you ask us something like that, Saleena?"**

"**Oh, well, because I have been wanting to contact them, but I haven't known how to" she answered. "I've been thinking on joining up you see, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about doing it."**

**The atmosphere in the room dramatically changed suddenly. Everyone stiffened. It was Arthur who spoke next. "And what would you want to join them for?"**

"**Well because I hate Voldemort," Saleena cried, slamming her fist down on the counter. "It is because of **_**him**_** that my best friend is dead! And after I seen what he did to Draco, and then killing Narcissa, I just want him dead! Here lately, I've been thinking about how I haven't really done anything important to help out with the war. I've just been sitting around doing nothing while the Order seems to be at the center of everything and, well, that's kinda where I'd like to be too. After all, **_**I'm**_** not afraid of facing him!"**

**The room was filled with an awkward silence. No one knew what to say to her. They wanted her to join them, and now they find out that she was not objected to the idea. What were the odds of that? The only problem was that Minerva had not approved of it yet because she hadn't determined if Saleena was trustworthy or not. **

**Everyone jumped when Saleena broke the silence. "So is the rumor true then? Are the two of you in the Order of the Phoenix."**

**Tonks looked to her husband. "No, sorry" Remus said. "We can't help you."**

"**Yeah," Tonks agreed. "We're not in the Order."**

"**That's too bad," Saleena sighed. "I really want to join them. I honestly believe I could be of some help to them."**

"**Well, the Order is rather particular about who they let in nowadays," Molly said.**

**Saleena gave Molly a curious look. "How would you know that?"**

"**Uh… well I-I uh," she stammered.**

"**Molly and I tried to join up recently," Aurthur offered.**

"**You did?" Saleena asked, surprised.**

"**We did?" Molly muttered under breath.**

"**Of coarse we did." Arthur smiled. "But they turned us down. They have to really trust you before they'll let you in. The inspection they do is very thorough."**

"**Well that makes sense," Saleena agreed. "These are difficult and dangerous times after all. Who did you have to contact Aurthur?" She wasn't about to let this go.**

"**I uh, we uh," Aurthur stammered, "had to, umm, contact Minerva McGonagall."**

**Just then Molly had an idea. "What a coincidence," she exclaimed. "Minerva is coming over for dinner tonight."**

**Saleena gasped. "She is?"**

"**She is?" Aurthur repeated.**

"**She is now," Molly said under her breath, smiling at her husband.**

**Aurthur shook his head, smiling back at his wife. "Good thinking, Molls. You know I love you, right?"**

"**I know you do," Molly chuckled. "And I love you too Dear." Then she turned to the Lupins. "Remus, Tonks, would you care to join us for lunch?"**

"**We'd love to Molly," Remus answered. "Thank you." **

**Molly pulled up two more extra chairs and her, Lupin, Tonks, Aurthur and Saleena all took a seat at the table and before long, it was filled with happy conversation again.**

"**So Tonks, we couldn't help but overhear," Harry began. "Is there really another metamorphmagus at the ministry?"**

**Tonks frowned. "Yes, it's true. And Rufus has asked me to train her. I think he means to replace me, I really do."**

"**Tonks, you're a wonderful Auror," Hermione comforted. "Why would he want to replace you?"**

"**I don't know. Maybe because I'm such a screw up."**

"**Stop it, Dora," Remus interjected. "You are **_**not **_**a screw up! If Rufus honestly thought that, do you think he would have asked **_**you**_** to be her mentor?"**

"**Well no, not exactly Remus," she responded. "But who else would he get to do it? I'm the only one around here like her."**

"**But don't you think it would be just a tad bit stupid on his part to let you go?" Ron asked. "I mean, if good help is as hard to come by nowadays as you say it is, that wouldn't make very much sense."**

"**Yeah," Hermione agreed, "and not to mention, people with your abilities are incredibly rare, Tonks. Rufus is lucky to have you. I mean, just think of how much the odds could prove in our favor if there were two of you on the same team. If he let you go now, that would be a very big mistake on his part."**

**Tonks smiled. "Thanks you guys, but I just don't know if I'm comfortable with this or not. She is rather young to be an Auror, and really annoying as well. I always thought it would be cool to meet another person like me, but this one's just altogether weird."**

"**Well you never know," Aurthur said. "She could end up being your future partner."**

"**I don't **_**need **_**a partner!" Tonks spat. "I prefer to operate alone."**

"**You've always gone on team missions with -"**

"**-Aurthur!" Molly interrupted. "Could you pass **_**Saleena **_**the butter?"**

"_**Oh**_**, Saleena," Aurthur had forgotten that she was there in the room with them. "Butter. Right."**

"**No, I'm fine really," Saleena said. "I don't need any more butter, but thank you."**

"**No but you do dear," Molly insisted. "My biscuits are absolutely spectacular with butter spread all over them you must try it!"**

"**Thank you Molly, but really, I'm fine."**

"_**Anyways**_**," Tonks called the attention back onto her. "Things are different while I'm at work with the Ministry. That's my paying job and I cannot afford to lose my only source of income right now. You all know how badly we **_**need**_** that money! Therefore, when I am at work, I prefer to be left alone so that there is no one around to distract me from doing my duties. I get things done better that way, so I don't **_**want **_**a partner!"**

"**We get it Dora, calm down," Remus said again.**

"**Remus Lupin, if you tell me to calm down one more time-"**

"**-Do you know what I think?" Draco spoke for the first time. Molly and Aurthur were completely shocked. Draco had **_**never**_** spoken a word at the table before now. He never spoke a word outside of his room period. "I think that you're just afraid she might be better than you, and that's why you don't want her around."**

**Tonks**__**scoffed. She had almost forgotten that this strange boy was in the room. "Who the hell are you to talk to me like that? I don't know you, you don't know me, so let's get something straight here, pal-"**

"**-Oh, I know who you are," Draco cut in. "Nymphadora Tonks. Metamorphmagus and highly trained Auror. Daughter of Andromeda and Ted Tonks. Recently married to werewolf Remus Lupin. That's right, I know all about you! But don't worry, you know me too. We've just never met."**

"_**What?" **_**Tonks looked from Molly, to Aurthur, and back to Draco. "What do you mean, I know who you are?"**

**Harry dropped his fork onto his plate. The clanging noise It made startled everyone. "I-I'm full now, thanks. I think I'd better go." He stood up from the table.**

"**Me to," Hermione said, following Harry's lead. She looked expectantly at Ron who was still shoving food in his mouth. Under the table, Hermione stepped on his foot.**

"**What? **_**I'm**__**not**_** done. I'm still hungry!" **

"**Ronald," Hermione whispered, giving him '**_**the look'. **_

**He quickly gulped down the bite that was currently in his mouth and took one last swig of his ice water. "All done now." He and Hermione rose from the table together**

"**Excuse us Molly," Harry said politely. "But we need to cut out early. We still have a lot of planning to get done before Friday."**

"**Is that when you're all leaving again?" She asked bitterly.**

"**Yes, that's the plan," Harry answered. "That is, if we can even come up with a plan."**

"**Won't you stay just a little bit longer?" Molly pleaded.**

"**We've already been here for nearly three weeks Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione.**

"**Won't you tell me where-"**

"**NO!" Harry cut her off. "We can't. You know we can't, so lets not do this now."**

"**When will you be coming back?" Aurthur asked quickly before Molly could get too upset.**

"**That's just it, we don't know Dad." Ron answered. "Like Hermione said, we've stayed longer this time than we usually do."**

"**And I suppose that's because when you leave this time, you'll be gone longer than you usually are as well," Molly concluded.**

"**That's right," Harry answered shortly. "And we don't know exactly what we're getting ourselves into this time. If something goes wrong, or if one of **_**his **_**spots us, we may even have to go into hiding."**

"**WHAT?" Aurthur practically yelled. **

"**What are you doing that might cause you to have to go into hiding?" Mrs. Weasley squeaked. "Please, Harry. Do you have any idea how agonizing it is to have to sit at home and worry about you three all day long? Not having a clue as to where you are, what you're doing, or weather or not you're all safe, or alive even?"**

"**I'm sorry if we're causing you that much stress mum," Ron said sincerely. "But you have to understand that we're just trying to do our part here as well."**

"**But Ronald-"**

"**Molly now is **_**not **_**the time for this!" Harry said sharply, cutting her off. **

**The tone in Harry's voice made her decide not to question them any further. "Just go. You're all dismissed," she said softly, giving in.**

"**Thank you," Harry said.**

"**Sorry," Ron mouthed to his mother and father before turning and following Harry and Hermione out of the kitchen. **

**The only people left at the lunch table were Molly, Aurthur, Lupin, Tonks, Draco and Saleena. Molly dabbed away the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Now then, where were we?" she said, addressing all of them.**

"**Who the hell is he?" Tonks said, pointing at Draco, getting back to business.**

"**Tonks dear," said Remus. "I know who he is. I had him as a student the year I taught at Hogwarts. And he happens to be your cousin, you know, the one you've never met."**

"**Draco?" Tonks said, squinting at him. "It can't be. **_**You're **_**Lucious and Narcissa's son?"**

"**Unfortunately," Draco sneered. "Why, is that a problem?"**

"**No, not at all."**

"**Then why are you looking at me like that?"**

"**I'm sorry," she said, quickly taking her eyes off of him. "I didn't mean anything by it. You're just not what I expected, that's all."**

"**Well I'm so sorry to disappoint you."**

"**Manners Draco," Molly commanded. **

**Humph!" Draco crossed his arms and glared at her. From the moment he had been able to walk up and down the stairs, Molly had laid down the law for him. She said that while he was living in her house, she didn't care what he did with his free time. All he was required to do was be at the kitchen table for every meal, because they all ate together here, and he was to mind his manners throughout the mealtime. Those were the only rules she had gave him, other than to stay out of her room. Aurthur however was a different story. He was full of rules, but most of them were all about the Order and secrecy issues.**

"**So then, I suppose that you hate me as much as your parents do?" Tonks snapped, calling his attention back to the conversation.**

"**I don't even know you," Draco answered. "So, unless you give me a reason to hate you, then your answer to that question is no."**

**Tonks was taken aback. "That's how you feel? Really? Because I just thought that - that well, you know, well we were never allowed to see each other. Didn't your parents ever tell you to ex me out of the family?"**

"**Oh they did alright," Draco confirmed. "But they also told me a lot of other rubbish as well. I've just recently learned that every word my father ever said to me was a lie, and I've therefore chosen to disregard everything he ever taught me. And since it was he that told me never to speak to you in the first place, I guess I could give you a chance now. Just do me a favor, and don't mess it up. I haven't got any other family left." Although he was obviously trying to pass off his last statement as a joke, there seemed to be a lot of truth in it. Draco really did seem to care enough about her to give her a chance.**

"**You mean to tell me that you, being **_**a Malfoy, **_**don't hate muggle-borns or the pure-bloods wizards who choose to marry muggle-borns?" Tonks asked, still in shock.**

**Draco paused for a moment to consider her question. "I'm getting there," he answered honestly. "I was always **_**taught**_** to hate them though, so I've never known anything different. But like I said, my father was a liar. How do I know he wasn't lying to me about the mudbloods, or lying about you? I don't! So I guess the only way for me to find out the truth is to see it for myself." **

**Tonks nodded. "Well said. Maybe I could introduce you to my mother sometime. You'll have to wait to meet my dad though because he's in hiding right now."**

"**You're mother? As in my mother's older sister?" Tonks nodded. Draco shook his head. "I-I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. Sorry." **

"**There's no need for you to apologize, I understand."**

"**You might want to tell your mother that her sister is-is…" Draco couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.**

**But Tonks understood by the look in his eye what he was trying to convey to her. And even though she had never met her aunt, she was still very upset. Her mother had always spoken highly of both her sisters. Apparently they had all three been rather close growing up. "Draco, that's horrible. How did it happen?" she asked, even though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer to that question.**

"**Voldemort" was all he said.**

**And that was all the answer Tonks needed. "I'm so sorry," she said softly. And she really was sorry. More sorry than Draco would ever know.**

"**No need to apologize," Draco repeated her previous words, smiling slightly even though he was on the verge of tears. "Molly, if it's alright, I'd like to be excused now. I don't think I can eat anymore."**

"**That's alright dear, go on upstairs and get some rest."**

"**Thank you." He turned back to Tonks, "it really is nice to finally meet you," he said.**

**Tonks smiled brightly at him. "Same here." Draco got up from the table and left the kitchen, leaving the room in silence behind him. **

**Remus broke the silence first. "He certainly has come a long way since the last time I saw him."**

"**He's starting to come around," Aurthur agreed. "Slowly but surely." **

**Tonks had more questions about Draco so Molly, Aurthur and Saleena caught her and Remus up on Draco's condition and the events of the past month. After they were all finished eating, Tonks was helping Molly with the dishes while Remus sat at the table discussing the latest news with Aurthur. Saleena felt awkward around them and was getting the sense that they wanted to be left alone. She could tell that she wasn't about to fit into any of their conversations anywhere so she excused herself from the table and went upstairs to check on Draco. **

**As soon as she was no longer within earshot, Tonks threw down the rag and turned to Molly. **_**"What **_**was that all about?"**

**Molly looked confused. "What was what about?"**

"**That whole **_**'we're not in the order' **_**thing," she said. "Where did that come from? What do you mean you're not in the order?"**

"**We still are so calm down," Molly urged. "I only said that to throw her off, sorry if I worried you." Tonks still didn't quite look as if she followed so Molly added, "Minerva doesn't want Saleena to know. She ordered us to keep everything quiet so long as she's around."**

**But why?" Lupin asked. "She seems nice."**

"**Yes, and if she is a Healer, she can **_**definitely **_**help us out, and quite a bit" Tonks said. "So what's the big deal?"**

"**We just don't know enough about her yet," Molly answered. "She's very private about her past and she doesn't talk all that much."**

"**We wanted to approach her yesterday but we hadn't gained any evidence that she was interested in joining us," Aurthur explained. "Minerva wasn't about to reveal herself to Saleena because, what would have happened if Saleena would of refused her request? Minerva would have revealed herself for nothing and Saleena would know far too much!"**

"**Yes," Molly said, continuing where Aurthur had left off, "and now that we know for a fact that she is interested, Minerva can question her and not have to worry about breaking secrecy. The only problem now is that we still don't know enough about who she really is."**

"**McGonagall will just have to question her then," said Remus.**

"**But what will she do if Saleena refuses to be questioned?" Tonks asked.**

"**Refuse her request to join the Order I guess," Aurthur answered Tonks' question. "Which will put us right back where we started from."**

"**How on earth have you keep something like this a secret from her for the past three weeks?" Tonks asked, clearly impressed. **

"**Trust me, it wasn't easy," Molly said, laughing as she finished washing the last dish. She put down the washcloth. "Well, I'd better go contact Minerva before it gets to be too late."**

"**I thought you already said she was coming over," Tonks stated. **

**Molly shrugged. "I did. But that doesn't mean I have told her she's coming over yet."**

"**What if she has made other plans for tonight though?" Tonks asked.**

"**I guess she'll just have to cancel them then," Molly answered. "Trust me, she'll want to be here once I tell her the news about Saleena." With that, Molly departed.**

**As Molly had predicted, Minerva agreed at once to come over for dinner and talk with Saleena. She was also intrigued to hear the news about there being another metamorphmagus in the ministry. She was interested in meeting her as well, if that were at all possible. Since they were going to be discussing the Order, Draco was asked to eat in his room, to which he agreed without any argument. He preferred to eat alone anyways, but he didn't want to be rude to Mrs. Weasley.**

**It was 7:00pm when Minerva McGonagall arrived at the Burrow. She joined Molly Aurthur, Remus, Tonks, Saleena, Harry, Ron and Hermione at the dinner table. They all ate until they had their full, chatting about pleasantries and current events before going into the more serious topic of conversation; The Order.**

**Ron, as always, was the last to finish eating. As soon as he sat his fork down, Minerva began. "Well let's get down to business, shall we? I hear we have someone here who is wanting to join us?"**

**Harry was sitting next to Saleena so he introduced her to McGonagall. "Yes we do. **_**This **_**is Miss. Saleena Blackwell."**

"**It is very nice to meet you Miss. Saleena. My name is Minerva McGonagall, headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and current head of The Order of the Phoenix. Welcome to our headquarters."**

"**Headquarters?" Saleena didn't think she heard right.**

"**Well, temporarily, yes" Minerva answered. Saleena looked around the table, briefly meeting the eyes of everyone sitting there. "And yes," McGonagall added, answering her obvious question. "Everyone seated here is in fact involved with the Order."**

"**But Molly and Aurthur said that you'd rejected them," Saleena accused.**

"**Well they were lying," McGonagall said simply. "Everyone here was, but please do not be cross with them. They all wanted to tell you the truth, you know. However **_**I**_** ordered them not to say anything because, in times like this, our secrecy is of utmost importance." **

"**Well, that is understandable," Saleena agreed. The she asked the question she had been most anxious to know the answer to. "So, how do I join up?"**

"**Well, I've already had an interest in you for quite some time now," McGonagall stated, causing Saleena's eyes to light up hopefully. "Our only problem here is that we hardly know anything about you. Molly and Aurthur have been attempting to learn more about you while you've been staying here but they have both told me that you are extremely guarded," she explained. "So my question for you is; why? Why are you so guarded like that? What are you hiding?"**

"**N-Nothing. I am hiding nothing," Saleena stammered. "I just like my privacy, that's all. Is that a crime?"**

"**No," Minerva shook her head. "But if you want to be in the Order then I have to have a very clear understanding of who you are before I can fully trust you. We already have one spy, somehow or another, and we have no idea who he, or she, is yet. I simply cannot risk creating another."**

"**And you think I want to join up just so that I can **_**spy **_**on you?"**

"**I do not know if you would or not, Saleena. I'm just saying that one can never be too careful," McGonagall advised. "We are at war here, and right now things aren't looking so great for our side! Voldemort is always one step ahead of us, on everything! Every day his forces seem to grow stronger, and everyday ours lose hope. We cannot afford anymore losses!"**

"**Alright, alright, I get it! You have trust issues. Fine. Whatever," Saleena blurted. "Just tell me what I have to do to earn you trust."**

**Minerva studied Saleena's determination for a moment. She **_**really**_** wanted to trust her, and Saleena did look genuine enough. McGonagall sighed. "I'm not going to lie, we do **_**need**_** you on our team. Desperately. If I had only acted on this sooner…" she trailed off. **

**The look on Minerva's face worried everyone else at the table. "Minerva, what's wrong?" Molly asked.**

**Minerva looked up into Molly's anxious face and sighed again. "Last week's mission went horribly wrong," she began. "I've been meaning to contact you all, but I wanted to get a chance to tell everybody at the same time. But seeing how as we haven't been able to hold a meeting here in a almost a month, it's made staying in contact rather difficult."**

"**That's probably my fault, isn't it?" Saleena asked. **

"**Partially yours," McGonagall answered. "But mostly Draco's. And we desperately need to have a separate meeting with him as well. One where everybody can be there. That way we can find out exactly what all he knows and weather or not he wishes to help us."**

**Saleena nodded. "I think he means too. Draco's just complicated."**

"**Minerva," interjected Tonks, "you guys are getting off topic. Tell us what happened last week! You said that the mission went horribly wrong. Wasn't that the one that Mad-Eye was leading? Is everyone alright?"**

**In the silence that followed Tonks' question, the atmosphere in the room drastically changed. They hadn't caught it before, but now everyone realized that something bad **_**must**_** have happened. Looking at Minerva's distressed face now, there was no mistaking it; someone had gotten hurt. Everyone held their breath, waiting for her answer. **

**This time, it was Saleena who broke the silence first. She studied everyone's distressed, concerned, worried and anxious faces, wondering what the big problem was. "Have I missed something?" she asked.**

"**Yes," Minerva said, addressing Tonks and ignoring Saleena's question. "It **_**was**_** the mission that Alastor was leading. He got all of his men out fine, but suffered dire consequences for it in the end. He went out last, after ensuring that everyone else was safe. Then, as he was making **_**his **_**get-away, he was hit in the back with a dark and nasty curse. Bill picked him up and carried him out, then took him to their cottage. We had no other options! We couldn't have take him to St. Mungo's due to their intensive questioning processes. I mean, how would we have explain what had happened to him that night to a ministry official? We couldn't have! No one can know what they were up to that night!" she exclaimed.**

"**But he's ok now though, isn't he?" Tonks asked, refusing to accept that her friend could have possibly fallen in battle. "I-I mean, Mad-Eye's always been tough."**

**Molly embraced Aurthur and buried her face in his chest. She already knew what was coming next. Remus put a hand on Tonks' shoulder to steady her. Minerva shook her head. "We did all that we could do for him, but none of us are Healers. It just wasn't enough," Minerva sighed. "I am so sorry, to all of you, I am very sorry."**

**Tonks' eyes flooded with tears and she buried her face in her hands. As she did so, her hair grew longer, covering her face as it turned a deep shade of black. Remus began running his fingers through it, trying to calm her down.**

"**I can assure all of you that I will do everything within my power to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again," Minerva continued. "It is because of this incident that I have realized just how much we need you Saleena. If I had contacted you sooner, then Alastor's death may have been preventable. A Healer is of extreme importance to us at this point and I **_**need **_**to know that I can trust you, no matter what."**

"**You can," she said immediately. "Honestly, I wouldn't lie to you."**

"**And I want to believe you, really I do," McGonagall said. "But I'll still have to question you first, just to be sure I can trust you."**

**Saleena sighed. "Well, what do you want to know?" she asked.**

"**Now is not the time, nor the place" McGonagall said, shaking her head. "I can question you tomorrow afternoon, if you'd like. But I must warn you; we use Veritaserum." Saleena opened her mouth to protest, but McGonagall continued on before she could interrupt. "It is the only way we can be one-hundred percent sure that you are being completely honest with us. If you have any objections, I am sorry, but this is a **_**must. **_**If you disagree, then I have no choice but to refuse your request to join the Order. As much as I don't want to have to do that, I just couldn't accept you."**

**Saleena took a moment to consider her options. "Alright, I'll do it," she sighed. "But I do have on condition though."**

"**The last time I checked, Miss. Saleena, **_**I**_** was the one making the conditions here," McGonagall remarked.**

"**Yes, but you guys **_**need **_**me," Saleena reminded her. "Just please, hear me out."**

**McGonagall nodded. "Go on," she said with a frown.**

"**I will agree to the questioning as long as you promise **_**not**_** to bring my family onto this," she stated.**

"**And why should I not ask you about your family? It kind of makes me wonder what you're trying to hide," McGonagall said doubtfully. **

"**I-I'm not hiding anything," Saleena said quickly. "It's just that, well I don't really have a family to talk about, that's all. I haven't spoken to my dad since I left France when I was 19. He has his own practice now to distract him and besides, I was never his main priority anyways. And as for my mum, well I haven't seen or heard from her since I left with my father when I was 10," she lied. "And to be perfectly honest, I prefer it that way. My mother and I never really got along all that great."**

"**Well, we shall see how things pan out tomorrow," McGonagall casually stated. "In the meantime, why don't you go up and check on Draco. I will talk to you tomorrow."**

**Saleena knew automatically that this was McGonagall's way of politely asking her to leave, so she dismissed herself from the table without another word. She knew now that they wanted to be alone to discuss private matters involving the Order. Even Saleena found the shocking news that the most famous Dark-Wizard-Catcher, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, had died in battle to be slightly disturbing. She sighed to herself as she climbed the stairs, thinking about the upcoming events of the next day… **


	7. A Drop of Veritaserum

~ A Drop of Veritaserum ~

*** A/N: I see that some people have been reading this all the way through & I really appreciate those of you who do!!! I haven't gotten any feedback yet though, and it just makes me wonder if those of you who **_**are**_** reading this are actually **_**enjoying**_** what you're reading… For example, I am always wondering what people think of my 1st**** OC; Saleena… I guess my point here is to PLEASE, please leave a review when you get done reading!!! & Thank you, for your continued support. Now, let's get on with the chapter! … … ***

**Professor McGonagall, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all seated in the Weasley's sitting room, waiting for Saleena to arrive for her questioning. As they were waiting, they were discussing the problem of Voldemort possibly recruiting a clan of Gypsies into his service. This current problem was, after all, the very reason that the Trio had come home. They wanted the ensure that the Order knew what was happening. And, just as Harry had suspected; they weren't even aware of it. So for now, they were all taking advantage of this downtime to combine each other's information. Hermione was reading them an excerpt from an old book about Gypsies:**

"**It says: **_**'a Gypsy is a common name for a witch with exceptional magical powers. Gypsies are said to have abnormally long life-spans. They can be easily identified as they do not need wands to use magic. There are no known Gypsy Clans within the ministry at this time. Most superstitions say that Gypsies are evil and will bring you bad luck. During the witch-hunts in the 1800's, it was the Gypsies who gave the magical community away to the muggles. They were stubborn and proud and refused to hide who/what they were. This caused a war between normal witches and the Gypsies and' **_**-"**

"**-We already know about the Gypsy wars, Hermione," Ron said. "We aren't **_**that **_**stupid. Skip to the good part already!"**

"**What are you talking about, Ron?" Harry asked. His ignorance of the magical world, caused from being raised by muggles, was showing through again. "What does any of this have to do with Voldemort wanting to find-"**

"**-You'll see, Harry, just listen!" Ron nodded eagerly at Hermione to continue. Hermione just rolled her eyes, tracing her finger down a few paragraphs. She continued reading: **

'_**At the end of the Gypsy Wars, the ministry banned them and they began to form what they called clans. They chose their leader over 300 years ago and it is said that the 2**__**nd**__** descendant of their 1**__**st**__** leader will have to take up the leadership role when she passes into the next realm.' **_

"**Wait, what does it mean, **_**the 2**__**nd**__** descendant of their 1**__**st**__** leader?" **_**Ron asked, cutting Hermione off again.**

"**It means that her granddaughter has the rights to be their next leader, and not her daughter," Hermione snapped. "Any other questions before I attempt to finish reading this page?" Both of the boys shook their heads. "Anyways, next it says that:**

'_**Because of their long lives, a Gypsy Clans leadership positions skip a generation so that the next leader can begin her training at a younger age. It is said that their leaders often poses extraordinarily supernatural talents and abilities. They can be telepathic mind readers, have natural healing abilities without needing the aid of medicinal herbs, can accurately see into the future at will, and some can even control the weather and other forces of nature; although that particular talent is extremely rare. If a Gypsy studies and harnesses her special gift, eventually in time, she will master it.'**_

**Hermione stopped reading and they all considered what they had just read about. At last, McGonagall said, "well, if the rumor is true, then that would explain why Voldemort is trying to enlist the Gypsy Clan."**

**Ron furrowed his brow, trying to figure out how she had arrived at that conclusion. "How so, professor?"**

"**Well, if this leader of theirs is over 300 years old, then she must be getting ready to die. which would mean that her daughters' daughter is about to take over the clan," McGonagall explained. "The new girl will be inexperienced and vulnerable, so if Voldemort can get to her and control her, he will eventually control the entire clan."**

"**Which would not be good!" Hermione exclaimed. "I've read about them before and Gypsies are extremely powerful. I for one wouldn't want to have to face one in a battle!"**

**Right you are, as always, Miss. Granger," McGonagall complimented.**

"**Well, I for one am not afraid of no girl," Ron said enthusiastically. In a flash, Hermione whipped out her wand and aimed it at him. Ron yelped in fear.**

"**You were saying?" Hermione stated.**

"**Well, that is, except for you dear," Ron laughed nervously. "Now could you please aim that thing somewhere else!"**

**Hermione glared at him before lowering her wand. "You **_**should**_** fear them Ronald," she said threateningly. "They are exceptional thinkers and they can move extremely fast! They don't need wands to use magic, so it's difficult to predict what their next move is going to be. And if you're battling one that can read minds, you might as well not even try. If Voldemort gains control of an **_**entire**_** Gypsy Clan…" Hermione trailed off, shaking her head.**

"**Why would the Gypsies **_**want**_** to join Voldemort in the 1****st**** place?" Ron asked.**

"**Probably because then they could come out of hiding," answered McGonagall. "Voldemort would offer them certain freedoms that the Ministry has been denying them for years. It's the same story as always with the Ministry, they're all prejudice cowards who put restrictions on anyone who may have the power to overrule them." **

**Hermione shook her head in disgust. "You know, maybe if they didn't have to stay hidden all the time, and if Rufus would just allow the Gypsies back into society, maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't even have this problem. But do you think he's going to do that? Hell no he isn't! Which means that now **_**we**_** have to try to find them before **_**he**_** does!"**

**Ron smiled at Hermione. She was so passionate about equal rights and he loved watching her get all worked-up about it. She noticed him smiling and frowned at him. "It's not funny Ronald!" she exclaimed. **

"**No, I know it's not," he said quickly. "That's not why I was smiling anyways."**

"**Good," Hermione said shortly.**

"**So you really didn't know then?" Harry asked McGonagall again.**

"**I can assure you Harry," she confirmed, "that I have had no idea of whatsoever of Voldemort's current planning's. He's getting more difficult to figure out these days."**

"**That's because he knows we're on to him," Harry assured her.**

"**Yes, but for us to have not known anything about **_**this, **_**is ridiculous!" McGonagall exclaimed. "This is a rather major bit of information and we just-so-happened to overlook it? This is no coincidence! I really wish that I could pinpoint exactly how Voldemort always seems to know what we're up to when we can't even seem to figure out what he's up to! Somewhere along the lines, we're being either spied on, lied to, or both and I can't stand not knowing who is behind it all!!"**

"**Don't worry professor," Hermione said. "Whoever it is, I'm sure you'll catch them sooner or later." **

**At that moment Saleena walked into the living room, and the conversation subsided. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," she said. "I can leave now and come back later if you'd like."**

"**No, that's quite alright," McGonagall asserted. "The three of the were just leaving. We can pick up this conversation later." Harry nodded in agreement and got up off the couch to leave. Ron and Hermione followed. "I'll contact you three again once I've have finished here. I need to speak with you all before you leave again." Harry nodded again and the trio left to go upstairs to Ron's room and wait.**

"**Please have a seat, Saleena" Minerva said in a business-like manner. Saleena took the chair directly across from her. Minerva pulled a small bottle out from the pocket of her robes and popped the cork off of if it. She handed it across to Saleena who reluctantly reached out and took it from her. "Please use this sparingly as it is all I have left for right now. A single drop will suffice as this should not take very long."**

**Saleena silently did as she was told and only used a drop of the Veritaserum. It tingled he tongue as she swallowed it. She then handed the bottle back to McGonagall and waited.**

**I only have a few questions for you," McGonagall began. "The first is this; are you a spy?"**

"**No," Saleena answered. "I told you yesterday that I am not."**

"**And I also told you that I needed to be one-hundred percent sure," she reminded her. "Moving on then, do you currently, or have you ever worked for the Dark Lord?"**

"**NO," Saleena practically yelled.**

"**Do you agree with any of his teachings?"**

"**None."**

"**And what about Lucious Malfoy?" she asked. "He is a Death Eater after all. Are you working for him?"**

"**No," Saleena assured her. "Lucious and I's relationship has always been strictly business. I take care of their son whenever he gets sick, that's all. Draco on the other hand, I am very fond of. He is my favorite patient, but only because I have worked with him since he was a baby." She knew then that the Veritaserum was working on her because she never would have said that to Minerva McGonagall otherwise.**

"**So then, if we have a private meeting, you won't go back and tell Lucious anything tat we discuss?"**

"**No. I've told you, I'm **_**not**_** a spy!"**

"**So then," Minerva continued. "You **_**can **_**keep a secret?"**

"**Yes," Saleena said fiercely. **_**'Seeing how as I'm already keeping the biggest secret of my entire life from the rest of the world,' **_**she added, thinking only to herself. **

**Minerva nodded in approval. "Well then I guess I only need to know one more thing from you, Miss. Saleena. Why exactly do you wish to join the Order of the Phoenix?"**

"**That's easy," Saleena smiled. "Because I want to help win this war in whatever way I can! I hate Voldemort for all of the evil things he has done, all the innocent lives he has taken, the pain he has caused everyone! He **_**must **_**be stopped. I feel that I can use my abilities to really help the Order and benefit in whatever way I can."**

**Minerva could not have been more pleased with Saleena's answer. "Well that settles it then," she said. "Congratulations Saleena, you're in!"**

"**Wait - what? You mean, that's it? That was easy!" And she simply could not believe that it was **_**that **_**easy. "After all the time I spent fretting over this meeting, that was **_**all**_** you wanted to know?"**

"**Yes," McGonagall answered. "That is, unless there is something else that you would like for me to know. Anything you'd like to share?" Saleena bit her lower lip, hesitating for a moment, then shook her head no. "Then it's settled that! Now that I know for a fact that you're not in league with Voldemort, I can trust you."**

"**Thank you," Saleena said sincerely. **

**McGonagall nodded. "Well then, I suppose now would be a great time to bring you up to speed with what's been going on recently. Nobody else in the Order knows this yet because I have just learned it for myself from Harry. He, Ron and Hermione have just informed me that Voldemort is intending to induct an entire clan of Gypsies into his army. Now," she went on, taking no heed to the now distressed look in Saleena's eyes. "There are several Do you happen to know anything about Gypsies?"**

**Saleena gulped. There it was, the topic she had most wanted to avoid. "Do I ever," she unwillingly answered.**

"**As do I," McGonagall continued, paying no attention to Saleena's reluctance. "Apparently there is a Gypsy Clan around here and their leader is about to die. From what I have gathered thus far, Voldemort is after their next-in-line. I guess he figures that if he can get to her, he can eventually get to the entire clan. Would you happen to know anything about this?"**

**Saleena groaned as she felt the Veritaserum begin to take over again. She couldn't stop herself from answering with a "Yes."**

**This time, McGonagall **_**did **_**notice her behavior. "Saleena, what is wrong with you? Why are you resisting the serum? Are you hiding something from me?"**

"**Yes," she squeaked, again unwillingly, in a small, humiliated voice. "and I'd really rather not talk about this right now, please" she pleaded.**

"**Why, because right now you can't lie to me?" Minerva deduced. "As a member of this Order, if you know anything in regards to our current situation, then you are obligated to share whatever it is you know! Now I demand you tell me everything that you know about all this this instant!"**

**Saleena buried her face in her hands, her long hair concealing her face from Minerva's view. This was a very difficult topic for her. She growled in frustration. "What exactly do you want to know?"**

"**Has Voldemort really found the Gypsies?" **

**Saleena sighed. "Yes, he really has found them. And some of them have already agreed to join him, no matter what happens after their Clan Leader dies."**

"**Well who is their next clan leader going to be?" Minerva wondered where Saleena got all of her information from, but she knew that the Veritaserum would be wearing off anytime now so she pressed Saleena for as much information as she could.**

"**They don't know yet," Saleena answered as vaguely as she could manage.**

"**So then if they don't know yet, there is no way that Voldemort could know yet who she is," McGonagall deduced. "Good! Then that means we're safe for the moment. Who's their Clan Leader now, do you know?"**

"**Yes, I know who she is," Saleena said still giving vague answers.**

"**A name, Saleena. Do you know her name?"**

**Saleena gritted her teeth. "Yes, and it's Carla," she said, thankful that the truth potion did not make her reveal the last name.**

"**Hmm…" McGonagall pondered what she had just learned. "I wonder how much more time we have until this Carla dies."**

"**Only about a month or two," Saleena said softly, desperately wishing that she could just get up and run out of the room.**

**Minerva was shocked. She gaped at Saleena. She had been thinking out loud just then. Never did she expect to get an answer to **_**that **_**question. Now she was suspicious. "Saleena how on earth do you possibly know that?" **

**Saleena clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the answer from coming out. The only thing Minerva got was a muffled response. "Saleena take your hand away from your mouth and look at me!" Saleena did as she was told and when she looked up, McGonagall noticed that she had silently been crying. "I am sorry if this is hard for you, but for the sake of the Order, I need to know where you are getting all this information from? How do you know who their Clan Leader is and how long she has left to live?"**

**Saleena glared at McGonagall. In that moment, she hated her for forcing her to confess the biggest secret of her life. Hated the fact that there was nothing she could do now to hide it. She knew that the answer to this one little question would change her entire identity forever. "I know because Carla Blackwell is my grandmother. I am the one who is next in line to become the Gypsies new Clan Leader. It's me!"**

"**That's not possible," McGonagall gasped.**

"**Look, even if I **_**was **_**able to lie right now," Saleena divulged. "Do you honestly believe that I would just make something like that up?"**

"**And here I was thinking that I could actually trust you!" McGonagall exclaimed. "But now how can I, knowing that you're a Gypsy?"**

"**I am **_**not**_** a Gypsy," Saleena retaliated. "Look, I've already told you, I gave that part of me up a long time ago. I left my mother to go and live with my father because I didn't want anything to do with those stupid Gypsies. I practice non of their traditions and I don't agree with any of their customs!"**

"**Yes but that still doesn't make you not one of them, Saleena" McGonagall replied. "It's in your blood and, try as you might, you cannot deny it, nor can you change it. You're a Gypsy just as much as Draco is Lucious Malfoy's son. No matter how many times he denies it, it will never change the fact that Lucious really is his father. The same applies with you," she explained. "You may deny being one of them but the truth is, you completely are, and you always will be."**

"**No, I'm not-"**

**McGonagall cut her off sharply. "Miss. Saleena, do you have a wand?"**

"**What? Yes, of coarse I have a wand!"**

"**Do you use it? And I mean **_**really **_**use it."**

**Saleena put her head down in shame. She still couldn't lie. "Yes, but only as a prop. It isn't real."**

"**I thought so." McGonagall nodded. "Now that my point has been proven, I rest my case. The only question left is; what do I do with you from here?"**

"**I-I don't understand," Saleena said slowly. "You-you're still going to trust me?"**

"**Well you haven't given me any reason not to now have you?" McGonagall said, raising an eyebrow. "Now tell me, exactly what is your gift?" **

**Saleena gave McGonagall a curious look. She wasn't quite sure how to react to this. She had never told **_**anyone**_** her secret before and now, the first person she ever did, was seemingly okay with it? It didn't make any sense to her at all. "W-what do you mean, my gift?"**

"**I may not be all **_**that **_**familiar with Gypsies but still, I am no fool," Minerva declared. "I know that most Gypsies are gifted, and that the ones who are chosen to be their leader usually tend to be extraordinarily special. So what are your abilities?"**

"**Isn't it obvious?" Saleena asked. "I am gifted in medicine. I see things whereas other Healers do not. Mixing herbs to create antidotes has always came more naturally to me. I'm also pretty good at reading people and knowing what they want or need, even when they cannot express if for themselves. And I-" here, Saleena hesitated.**

"**Go on," McGonagall urged.**

**Saleena swallowed past the lump in her throat and went on. "I-I can read people's memories. Not their minds, but their memories. Whenever I touch someone, I can see whatever they're remembering as if it were a memory of my own. It's kinda like watching a movie. I could be a lot stronger at it than I am, but I never pursued my training for it as a girl."**

"**If you haven't spoken to your mother in so long," McGonagall continued again with the questioning. "Then how do you know how soon it will be until your grandmother passes, and how do you know that some of the clan have already made their decision on who they want to follow?"**

"**Because I lied to you yesterday," Saleena said simply. "My mother visited me for the first time in 30 years the very same night that I got Molly & Arthur's call to come here and help them with Draco. Their timing seriously could not have been any better," she chuckled.**

"**And what did your mother want?" McGonagall pressed.**

**Saleena sighed. "She wanted me to know what was going on with Carla and offer me my rightful place as their leader. She said that if I wanted to, I could go back with her and finish my training, harness my powers and master my abilities. I have no idea what on earth made her think I would ever say yes to such a preposterous request, but-"**

"**And what will happed if you don't go back Saleena?"**

"**Well, mother said that the clan will have to elect a new leader and our family name will lose all of it's power," she answered. "But none of that matters to me."**

"**Who do you think they would be most likely to chose as their new leader?"**

"**I think you already know the answer to that one," Saleena mused.**

"**Voldemort," McGonagall stated and Saleena nodded. "I was afraid of that," she went on. "Then I guess that only leaves us with one way to stop him from getting the Gypsies to join him. Saleena, I think I have an idea as to what your first mission is going to be."**

"**Oh, no you don't!" Saleena shook her head fiercely. "Don't think I don't see where this is going! I won't do it so don't even bother asking!"**

"**How badly do you wish to be a part of the Order, Miss. Saleena?"**

"**More that anything, but-"**

"**Then it is time for you to do your part," Minerva interrupted her. "Every single member of this Order have all had to make sacrifices and your no different. You said that you wanted to help make a difference in this war and help out wherever you can, well now's your chance!"**

"**Yes, but you can't ask me to do that!"**

"**I'm not asking you to, I'm telling you to," McGonagall said with as much authority as she could muster. "Seeing how as **_**you **_**are the only one who has the power to put a stop to all of this, it is **_**your**_** responsibility to go back to your people and talk some sense into them. If the only way to do that is to become their leader, then so be it!" **

"**And then what?" Saleena shot. "Loose my job and become an outcast in society? I've worked too hard throughout my life to get to where I'm at just to throw it all away on a whim! Mother says that they might not even listen to me? And why should they after I walked out on them? If this is what it means to be in the Order, then I am sorry, but I'm out. I will take no pert in this!"**

"**Miss. Saleena, calm down," McGonagall said softly. "If it means that much to you, then I guess we can try to figure something else out."**

"**Like what?" she sneered.**

"**I'm not sure at this moment," Minerva sighed. "But I at least need you to do go to them and-"**

"**Minerva, I told you already I-"**

"**Will you just listen to me for a second!" Minerva hissed. Saleena snapped her mouth shut at. "All I want is for you to go to your mother and talk to her. Let her finish your training so that you can have full use of your skills. I'm sure you have abilities that you don't even know you have yet, and later on down the road we may need your abilities. But they wont be any good to any of us if you do not know how to use them correctly. Go. Finish your training. An while your there, talk to them. Invite as many of them as you can to join us."**

"**And split up the Clan?"**

"**It sounds to me like the Clan has already split," McGonagall said. "It is unavoidable at this point, Saleena. Don't you get it? That is what Voldemort does to people, he splits them up. Because he knows that divided, we are weak, but together we are strong! So, rather than you joining them, try to get them to join us. Does that work better for you?"**

"**I suppose," Saleena sighed. "I can try my best, but I doubt that very many of them will listen to me. It'll be hard gaining their respect after being gone all this time."**

"**You do whatever you **_**have **_**to do to get as many of them on our side as possible!" McGonagall ordered. "Even of only **_**one**_** of them listens to you, it will still be better than none, and that'll be one less that Voldemort will hive on his side. Am I understood?"**

"**Yes ma'am," Saleena said with a nod. "When do I leave?"**

"**Tomorrow," McGonagall instructed at once. "If your grandmother is as sick as you say she is, then we haven't got much time left."**

**From the look in Saleena's eyes. Minerva could tell that she wanted to object, however, she did not. Instead she nodded her head and asked if she could be excused to go get ready to leave and McGonagall gave her permission to do just that…**


	8. The Spy

** The Spy **

Saleena left the very next day, telling Draco only that she was going on her first mission for the Order. She wouldn't give him any more details than that. A few days later, Harry Ron and Hermione also departed, leaving no clues behind as to where they were going, or how long they would be gone, and life at the Burrow went back to being quiet again. The only difference this time was that now Tonks seemed to be spending a lot more time there than she used to. For two weeks straight, she came over everyday to talk to Draco. She was constantly complaining about the new girl at work, the one from America.

Apparently, the Minister did not intend to fire Tonks after all. Instead, he had made the two of them partners and put Tonks in charge of all her training. As a result, the two of them spent much of their time together. And to make matters worse, for Tonks anyways, McGonagall had insisted that this girl be casually informed about the Order's existence. You know, just to see if she was interested… Turns out that the idea of a Rebel Group, as she liked to call it, was intriguing to her after all. You can pretty much guess where things went from there. McGonagall invited her over for dinner, they talked about the Order, Roxi expressed her interest in joining, McGonagall questioned her, and less than a week later, she was in!

Draco hadn't even been staying there for two months yet when he got his first notice in the mail. Somehow or another, the minister had gained knowledge that Draco was "hiding-out" at the Weasley's home. He had issued an order for Draco's arrest, but thankfully Arthur had talked him out if it, convincing Rufus to give Draco a chance. Draco was then summoned into the Minister's office for intensive questioning. During that time, Draco revealed to the Minister of Magic everything he knew of Voldemort and his Father and all of the other Death Eaters. He even dropped a few very surprising names that the Minister was not even yet aware of, nor would he have ever guessed, or suspected, those such people as being Death Eaters. When Arthur came in to get Draco, the Minister had decided to release him and drop all charges pressed against him. Rufus then advised Draco that he should tell the Weasley's everything that he knew…

Which brings us back to the present! Arthur told McGonagall what he had overheard the Minister telling Draco and they grew very suspicious as to what the Minister would of wanted them to know. So one afternoon, McGonagall went upstairs to Draco's room to talk with him for the very first time since he had arrived there. She knocked on the door and Draco told her to come in. The look on his face when he saw her enter the room was priceless. He had never expected for someone like _her_ to ever went to speak with someone like _him, _especially after all the pain he had caused her especially_. _But as it was, McGonagall seemed to actually value Draco's opinion on things.

"P-Professor, what are you doing here?" he stammered.

"Not to worry, Draco, I have come to talk to you," she ensured him. "Just talk. You're not in any trouble, I promise you."

Draco sighed in relief and calmed down a bit. Ever since the day that the Minister had dropped all his charges, the _Daily Prophet _had been publishing articles about him, and people weren't too happy about the Minister's decision on Draco's freedom. Draco half-expected that someone would burst through the doors at any minute and try to take him away and lock him up somewhere. There were a lot of angry and crazy people in their world today!

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked her.

McGonagall sighed. "Well Draco, it's quiet simple really," she stated. "I need to know exactly who's side you intend to be on in this war."

"Excuse me?" he scoffed, clearly affronted. Wasn't the answer to that question _obvious_?

"You heard me," she said. "There are three sides to this war; Voldemort, the Ministry, and the Order, and I need to know which one _you_ stand on. Clearly you aren't on Voldemort's side anymore, so where does that leave you, Draco? Will you side with the Ministry, or do you wish to join us?"

"By _us, _you mean the Order, correct?" McGonagall nodded. "You're not seriously standing here asking _me _if Iwant to join the Order of the Phoenix, are you?" Again McGonagall only nodded. _"Why?"_

"Because Draco," she began. "I would like to believe that you really _want_ to do the right thing. I honestly think that you really could make a difference in the coarse of this war, and I want for other people to see that you truly have changed. Why is that so difficult to believe? What Voldemort did to you was horrible! I feel that you at least deserve a chance to extract revenge by whatever means you feel necessary. I am merely giving you that chance."

"Well I can assure you that I do _not _support the Ministry. They're all a bunch of daft, gormless idiots if you ask me!" Draco chuckled at his own insult. "I mean, sure, they gave me back my freedom and all, no complaints there, but still, I cannot support some of the things that they have done. And as for joining the Order… I just don't know," he sighed.

"Well, how about this," McGonagall offered. "We are having a meeting tonight and it's the first one we've had altogether in months. Why don't you come down and join us? You can sit off to the side and just observe, you don't even have to say anything. However, if you do wish to join in on any of the conversations, you are more than welcome to. Get a feel for what it's like and then decide if you want to be a part of it or not."

Draco considered her for a moment. She actually looked serious about this. "I dunnow," he said. "What will everyone else think? Is it really a good idea to have someone in there who is _not_ a member? I thought you said that secrecy was of the utmost importance right now."

"It is Draco, but you actually _live _here. So with you, it's a tad bit different."

Draco shook his head. "I don't see how I'm any different," he said, "but alright. If you think it's a good idea, then I will come down there tonight and give it a shot, just to see what I think. I can let you know tomorrow how I feel about it."

Minerva nodded. "That sounds great," she said. "Now if you don't mind, I need to get going. I have a lot to prepare for tonight's meeting." That being said, she hurried out of the room, leaving Draco once again alone in silence…

**~*~**

At about 7:00 that night, Draco marched down the steps and into the Weasley's sitting room. The room was quite crowded so he pulled a chair off to the side, as Professor McGonagall had suggested, and sat down at the back of the room, distancing himself from everyone else. There were quite a few people there whim he recognized, such as; Longbottom & Luna. Were those two together now? And, how in the hell did a pair like _that _end up getting into the Order of the Phoenix? A few of Draco's old teachers were there, as well as Tonks & Lupin. And standing next to Tonks was a strange girl with short, bright pink hair whom Draco had never met before. He surveyed her appearance for a moment, counting her as the strangest thing he had ever seen, and then moved on… Four of Mr. & Mrs. Weasley's seven children; Fred and George of coarse, and the other two Draco could only assume to be Charlie and Bill. Bill was the obvious to identify because Draco recognized his wife, Fleur, almost immediately. She was still just as beautiful as he had remembered her from his fourth year at Hogwarts. And he knew that Percy would never show is face here, not knowing that Draco was staying there now. Oh no, Draco knew far too much about Percy Weasley. A fact that Percy was well aware of… No, he would not come here. As thoughts of Percy filled Draco's head, he began to wonder if perhaps the minister was right. Maybe he _should_ tell Molly and Arthur what he knew about their son. A few months ago, hurting their feelings would not have mattered to them, but now, now he just could not bring himself to hurt them…

…Roxi also looked around at all the unfamiliar faces within the room. It was in that moment that she first noticed a very sad-looking, pale, blonde boy sitting in a chair, slightly removed from the crowd. It was obvious by the boy's behavior that he did not want to be here. He was staring off into the distance, looking at nothing in particular, and his eyes… they were the most beautiful eyes that Roxi had ever looked into, to say the least. Looking at them now, they were the most brilliant shade of blue Roxi had ever seen. They say that staring into a person's eyes is like looking through a window into their soul. This boy, whoever he was, was no exception to that. His eyes were full of secrets, pain, and emotion… Yes, Roxi could gather a lot about him already just by looking indirectly into his eyes.

Sensing that he was being watched, Draco withdrew himself from his own thoughts and forced his focus back onto the people around him. He turned his gaze onto the new girl and noticed for the first time that she was staring at him. His first reaction would normally have been to give her a dirty look, but he was so overtaken by her head-on appearance that instead, he merely gaped at her. The strangest thing was that this girl did not look away in attempt to avoid his gaze. No, instead, she continued staring right into his eyes with just as much intensity. Draco didn't know why, but somehow, he felt drawn to her. Before he even knew what he was doing, he began to rise from his chair, meaning to get up and walk over to her and introduce himself. Quickly, he forced himself to sit back down and look away from her before anyone could notice what had happened. He squinted back at her from the corners of his eyes. She was still staring at him. Didn't she realize how incredibly annoying that was?

"Attention, attention everyone!" McGonagall announced, calling order to the meeting. Everyone stopped what they were doing at once and turned their attention onto her. It was then that Roxi finally averted her gaze off of Draco, and onto McGonagall.

_Thank you Professor McGonagall, _Draco thought to himself. From there on, Minerva informed the rest of the Order, the ones who did not yet know, of Mad-Eye's death. She also told them about Saleena and stated that the reason she was not at the meeting was because she was out an her own secret mission. She did not offer anymore details other than that, no matter how hard the others pressed her for more information as to what kind of mission she was on. McGonagall made the announcement of the new that Harry had brought about Voldemort and the Gypsies, another bit of news which Draco had already been informed about. Yes, living with the Weasley's did have its advantages, but because he already knew everything they were talking about, he found the entire first hour of discussion to be quite boring. He had just about convinced himself to get up and quietly head upstairs when Minerva finally brought up something that interested him immensely, although he did not yet understand _why _he was so interested in her.

"And this is our newest member," McGonagall said in regards to the strange, staring girl who was standing next to Tonks. "Her name is Roxandrea Zarooni."

"But please, just call me Roxi," said the new girl, embarrassed by the use of her full name.

"Very well then, Roxi," Minerva corrected. "Would you care to tell the rest of the group a little bit about yourself?"

"Why certainly," she said cheerfully. She seemed to like talking. "My name is Roxi, but of coarse you already knew that." She chuckled. "I am from America and I recently transferred here to study and work in your Ministry's Auror Department. Like my partner Tonks here, I am also a Metamorphmagus." This bit of info seemed to attract a lot of attention. Draco was listening intently, hanging off of every word she said.

"I absolutely love it here. I love my job, I love my partner, and I am sure I am going to love all of you as well!" she went on. "I may be new here, but don't think that that means I have no idea yet of what Voldemort is capable of. I knew what I was going up against before I even came here and took on this job. I am well aware of the dangers this entails, but I wish to help in whatever ways that I can. Thank you." With that, she bowed her head and sat back down on the couch next to Tonks.

"You are most welcome Roxi," Minerva said, picking up where she had left off. "Now, on to our most pressing matter. Has anyone seen or heard anything that might tell us who the spy might be?"

"Well, I aven't heard anysing," Fleur chimed. "But, I do not see 'ow were going to find him or her when you keep bringing in all zees new people who we do not know."

Bill grabbed his wife's hand. "Fleur, honey, I think Minerva knows what she is doing," he muttered.

Fleur was glaring at Roxi now. "I do not sink so, dear. She iz not even from here. She iz not one of us!"

"I do not believe that Roxi is a spy," Minerva said defensively. "I questioned her and she passed the examination."

"Maybe she was faking," Fleur accused.

Everyone in the room began talking all at once. Molly, Arthur, Charlie & Lupin were defending McGonagall. Fleur was shouting at Bill, trying to get him to take her side. Fred & George were questioning Tonks about Roxi. Nevil and Luna were just staring at Roxi. And Roxi herself was frightened and taken aback with all the blame and all the fingers being pointed at her. She had no idea of what they were even talking about. She sank down in her chair, biting her lower lip nervously. She didn't know what to say.

Draco didn't know why, but he suddenly felt an urge to protect her, to run to her defense and tell them that it wasn't her. He stood up and yelled over all the noise, "will all of you just shut-up!" The room immediately grew silent as everyone stopped what they were doing and gaped at Draco. "Yeah, I do speak, don't look so surprised," he sarcastically added in response to the funny looks he was receiving. "Would you listen to yourselves? Arguing amongst one another and blaming the innocent! And here I thought that the Order of the Phoenix was above all that nonsense. You're all wrong! It's not her. This girl is no more a spy than Tonks is!"

"Oh that's it," George said, "run to her defense. As if it wasn't already obvious to everyone that you're completely gaga over her."

"What? No! It's not like that. It isn't like that at all," Draco stammered. "I-I, I just _know_ that she isn't the spy, that's all."

"And how do you know that?" Fred sneered. "I suppose that next you're going to tell us you do know exactly who it really is?"

"I-I," Draco was stuck. The truth was he _did _know exactly who the spy was, but he didn't want to bring it up in front of the _entire _Weasley family. It was going to be hard enough facing Molly and Arthur, let alone all of them, all at once. "As a matter of fact, I do. I do know who he is. But I cannot tell you."

"Did you hear that George?" Fred said. "He knows who, but he can't tell us who."

"How convenient," George mused.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I did tell you," Draco accused. "And that's why I won't say anything!"

"Boys, that's enough!" Minerva cut in before Fred and George could start on Draco again. "Draco, if you know something we would really appreciate it if you would tell us."

"I want to tell you, really I do" he said. "But just not here. There's too many people." He shot the twins a dirty look. They both returned the gesture. "If it's alright professor, I would like to speak with you and Mr. & Mrs. Weasley alone."

Minerva smiled kindly at Draco. _This_ was the moment she had been waiting for. This was the very reason she had encouraged him to come to the meeting. She knew that he knew something they didn't, and now she was going to find out exactly what that something was. "As you wish Draco," she said. "Perhaps the four of us should excuse ourselves to the kitchen."

Draco shook his head. "I don't want to be overheard."

Molly and Arthur exchanged looks. "Lets go up to our room and talk," Arthur suggested. "We should have plenty of privacy there." Molly nodded in agreement.

"Very well then," McGonagall said. "We'll go now."

"What?" Fred protested. "You're just going to let him have his way, just like that?"

"Yeah," George agreed. "What about the rest of us? We deserve to know who the spy is too!"

"I will report back to you all as I see fit to do so, after I have spoken with Draco," McGonagall replied. "Do you honestly think that I would keep secrets from all of you? I will not leave you in the dark. That is not the kind of leader I am!"

"Well said," Remus agreed.

"Thank you, Remus."

"But what about the meeting?" Tonks asked.

"Well this shouldn't take long," Minerva answered. "Remus, I'll leave you in charge while I'm gone. In the meantime, why don't you all talk to Roxi for a bit. Ask her some questions, get to know her better. I am sure that once you do, you will realize that she is not a spy. Perhaps maybe then you will all will trust my judgment a bit more?" Without another word she got up and swept from the room, Molly, Arthur and Draco following right behind her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. & Mrs. Weasley's room was on the second landing. Arthur opened the door and lead them in. Molly and Arthur's room was small with floral wallpapers, and it was very crowded. The only furniture in it was an old antique dresser, two mismatching armchairs, a side table and an old full-sized bed with somewhat shabby linens, which sat up against the back wall in the middle of the room. There was a window on the back wall and Draco could see that night had fallen already. The room was lit by a couple of dim torches. The room's overall appearance, although very clean and tidy, was indeed poor and sad looking. It was obvious to tell, just by looking around the bedroom that Mr. & Mrs. Weasley definitely did not put themselves first when it came to spending their money. Draco had never been in this room before because this was the one place in the house he was strictly forbidden to ever enter. Now he could see why they wouldn't have wanted him in here. He felt very awkward and uncomfortable to be sitting in it now, especially knowing that what he had brought them here to say would break their hearts.

Molly and Arthur seated themselves on the edge of the bed and McGonagall took the chair next to Draco. "Very well Draco," she began. "Let's get straight to the point. You said you knew wh the spy was, so tell us. Who is it? Is it anyone in the room downstairs? Is that why you had to bring us up here to tell us?"

"No. it isn't any of them," he answered.

"Then who?" McGonagall pressed.

Draco looked at their expectant faces and swallowed past the lump in his throat. He took a deep, shaky breath and began. "Mr. & Mrs. Weasley you have been nothing but kind to me since I have been here. You didn't have to take me in, but you did. And then when the Ministry cleared my name and gave me back my rights, you could have kicked me out, but you didn't. You didn't have to call in Saleena, you could have just let the poison kill me, but you didn't. You guys have done everything you can to take care of me, even thought you didn't have to and still, I have been keeping something from you. Something that I know the both of you have every right to know."

Draco paused to take a few more shaky breaths. His hands were trembling in nervousness. He really did not want to hurt them. "It's been killing me inside, keeping this from you," he continued. "But I only did it because after everything you have done for me, I didn't want to have to hurt you. I didn't want to be the one to break the bad news to you, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was hoping that you would eventually figure it out on your own, but it's been over two months! I've realized that there is no way that you will ever guess it's him. He's too sneaky and too evasive for anyone to expect _him_ to be working for Lord Voldemort. Even the Minister was surprised when I told him who it was last week. But I just don't want to hurt you," he repeated.

"It's alright Draco," Arthur encouraged. "You can tell us anything. We wont be mad at you."

"Yeah," Molly agreed. "The only thing you could say that would possibly upset us is if you were to tell us that the spy happened to be one of our children," she mused. "But we all know that that's not possible. Charlie, Bill, Fred and George are all downstairs and you've already stated that it isn't anyone down there. Ron is off with Harry, Ginny is finishing her last year of school and Per-" Molly stopped in mid-sentence and gasped. She clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my god," she muttered. Molly's breathing suddenly became irregular, her hands too were trembling and she was shaking her head in clear denial. "No, this can't be! It can't be!"

Arthur was a bit slower on the uptake. His first thought was that of concern for his wife. But then he realized why she was reacting the way she was. Their third son, Percy, was the spy. "It can't be," he echoed Molly's words in a low whisper. He was also shaking his head in shock and disbelief. "It's not Percy, it can't be Percy. He would never betray us like that!"

"Draco, is it?" McGonagall asked in a shaky voice. "Is Percy Weasley the spy?"

Draco stared down at the floor to avoid any eye-contact. "Yes," he answered.

Molly fell back onto the bed and curled into a ball. She began to sob uncontrollably. Arthur leaned back, ran his fingers through her hair and whispered into her ear to try to get her to calm down some. It wasn't working. He placed a hand on her arm and started rubbing it comfortingly, then he turned back to Draco.

"You said earlier that no one would have ever suspected this spy to be working for Voldemort. That not even the Minister knew it was him," Arthur said. "If Percy is the spy, then does that mean…?" he stopped in mid-sentence, unable to finish his question. Now he wasn't quite so sure weather he wanted to know if his son was a Death Eater or not. And worst of all, he didn't know how much more of this conversation Molly could handle. She was already on the verge of having a nervous breakdown as it was.

Minerva picked up where Arthur had left off. "Is Percy a Death Eater, Draco? Does he have the Dark Mark?"

Draco buried his face in his hands. This had to be one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. A part of him smiled on the inside, remembering that only a few months ago he would have marveled at the chance to crush the Weasley's perfect little family. Now the thought of it sickened him. Mr. & Mrs. Weasley were the nicest people he knew. No one had ever shown him kindness like they had and now, now he was hurting them beyond belief. He slowly, reluctantly nodded his head, hoping that Molly wasn't looking at him. But Molly had looked up as soon as Minerva had asked the question. She shrieked in agony again as her worst fears were confirmed.

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From Downstairs, everyone heard Mrs. Weasley's cries. Fred and George were on their feet at once. "Sit down guys," their older brother Charlie ordered. "You know how mum is. If she wants us in there, she'll have someone come down and get us when she's ready. It'll do no good at all to just go running in there unannounced. That will only upset her more."

"He's right Fred," George sighed. "As usual." He plopped himself back down on the couch.

Fred followed his twins lead. "If he's hurting our mother, I swear I-"

"Oh, come on!" Bill exclaimed. "Dad and Minerva are both up there with her, and I highly doubt that the two of them will let Draco Malfoy even touch our Mother. Use your common sense guys!"

"But then, why was she screaming? She sounded like she was in pain, didn't you hear?" Fred shot back.

Bill shrugged. "Maybe it was just something that was said," he suggested.

"What could Draco have possibly said to upset mum like that?" George asked.

At that moment, Minerva came back into the room. Her face was full of stress, anger, grief and worry all at once. She seemed more distant then usual. "Molly and Arthur would like to speak with all of their children alone," she announced.

And now, Charlie too was worried. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Your father will tell you," Minerva answered softly. She acted like she was on the verge of tears herself. "The four of you better head upstairs. I am going to stay down here with everybody else. Your mother and father are waiting."

Fred and George were the first to get up and leave, followed by Charlie. Bill kissed Fleur on the cheek. "You wait down here, alright?"

"But why can I not go with you?" she asked. "I am a part of zis family too!"

"Fleur, honey, I know that. And I mean no offence in asking you to wait here. It's just that, well, trust me - you don't know how my mother is. If something is upsetting her so badly that she has asked to speak with just us, it's always best to comply with whatever she wants. There is no arguing with her when she gets like that."

"You coming Bill?" Charlie asked from half-way up the first set of stairs.

"Yeah, be right there Char," he replied getting up from the couch. He took Fleur's hand and kissed it. "Wait for me here," he told her.

After the four Weasley children had gone upstairs, McGonagall took the empty seat on the sofa next to Fleur. This was odd for McGonagall because she was no longer being her normally, formal self. Whenever she addressed something of vital importance, she usually would stand and talk directly to them. However Minerva McGonagall was neither standing nor looking at any of them. She just kept staring ahead of her and shaking her head. Although they were all sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation, waiting to find out who the spy was, no one dared say anything to her.

At last, Tonks broke the silence. "Minerva, are you okay?" she asked in a small, worried voice.

Everyone held their breath, waiting to see how she would respond. Minerva looked at Tonks, "I will be," she sighed. "This day has been quite…" she trailed off, searching for the right word. "Informative, I guess you could say." There was an audible sigh of relief from the room once McGonagall started speaking because then they knew that it was safe for them to talk again.

"Did Draco tell you anything useful?" Remus asked.

McGonagall took in a deep breath. "Yes actually, he did. And what he said makes perfect sense. I believe him, I really do. And Molly and Arthur believe him too."

Again there was silence, until finally, Remus asked the question they had all been dying to hear the answer to since Draco and the others had left the room. "So then, who is the spy, Minerva?"

McGonagall looked Lupin straight in the eyes. "It's Percy Weasley," she answered. Everyone's jaw dropped in shock. No one could believe it. A loud _BANG _sounded from upstairs, causing everyone in the room to jump.

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Fred punched the wall. Hard. The sound his fist made when it hit the wood made everyone in the room jump. Everyone that is except for Molly. Nothing it seemed could phase her anymore. She was still lying on the bed, curled in to a ball, weeping. You would think, based on her reaction, that her son had been killed. But he hadn't died at all. What he did do was worse. Much worse than anything she ever could have imagined.

"That stupid little gig," Fred shouted. "I always knew he couldn't be trusted, but _this? _How could he do something like this to us?"

"If I ever see him again, I swear I'll kill him," George said. This caused Molly to cry even louder.

"Boys, that's enough!" Arthur yelled. "Your mother is already dealing with enough here. Do you honestly think that she wants to hear one of her children conspiring to kill one of their brothers? No! And quite frankly, neither do I!"

"But dad, he-"

"Don't you _but_ _dad_ me, Frederick Weasley." Charlie, Bill and George gasped. The three of them exchanged glances. Never, in all their years together, heard had they ever heard their father call Fred by his full-name before. They knew he was being serious now and neither of them dared to defend Fred now, even though they all secretly wanted Percy dead as well. "Your mother and I have just lost a son. _You _just lost a brother! Can't you use a bit more tact that that?"

"Dad," Fred shot, "we haven't lost anyone. Percy isn't dead. Yet," he added.

"No you're right, he's not," Arthur agreed. "He's worse. He's a Death Eater!"

Fred was silent after this. All their father had managed to tell them thus far was that Percy was the spy. Hearing Arthur call Percy a Death Eater aloud seemed to give the severity of the situation a more distinct sense of loss than that of death. They all simultaneously realized that they would never again be able to speak to their brother. He was as good as dead to all of them, even though he was still alive. And how in the world could they ever be expected to fight against there own flesh and blood in battle?

"A Death Eater?" said George in disbelief. "As in, All hail Voldemort, long live the pure-bloods, lets go kill someone, I have a Dark Mark; that kinda Death Eater?"

"Yes that kind of Death Eater!" Arthur snapped. "What other kind of Death Eater is there?"

"But dad, Percy would never," Bill began. "I-I mean, he's our brother! We grew up together, went to school together, I was there when he was born. I helped baby-sit him, change his diapers, feed him, all of that! I was even there when he learned how to use magic for the first time. He couldn't possibly be…" Bill shook his head tensely.

"I know," Molly spoke for the first time. "How do you think it makes me feel, Billy? He was my baby!"

"This is all my fault," Arthur said. "If I hadn't argued with him that day, if only I had at least _tried _to stop him from leaving-"

"Arthur, NO!" Molly shrieked. "Don't you dare start blaming yourself for all of this! _None_ of it is your fault, d' you hear me?"

Arthur sighed. "I hear you Molls, but technically the only reason Voldemort has consistently been one step ahead of us is because I have been telling Percy everything! I see him at work everyday and he always asks me about the order and how we're doing and what we're doing. Like an idiot, I told him everything he wanted to know in hopes that maybe, just maybe, he would one day want to come back home and fight alongside us again. I thought we were making progress. I thought that I was getting through to him. And sure, maybe it was a tad bit odd that all he ever wanted to talk about was the Order, and not his immediate family, but I never questioned it. Never. Not once. Because, at least he was talking to me about _something! _At least for a moment I had my son back again, for a however short a period of time it was." Arthur ran a hand through his already messed up hair and sighed. He looked extremely exhausted as he sighed and continued. "Now I find out that everything I ever shared with Percy, every word I said to him, he was going right back and repeating it all to Voldemort! I never spoken a word of any of it to Percy because he is not in the Order. I have put us all at risk!"

Molly sat up and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Honey, no one here blames you for what happened," she said again. "You couldn't have possibly known, I mean, who would have suspected him of doing this? You were just trying to get our son back, dear, you weren't doing anything wrong!"

"I know that Molls," he sighed. "But it still feels like I did _everything_ wrong!"

"Are you going to be okay, mum?" Charlie asked.

"Eventually," she sighed. "Once the initial shock of it all wares off. I's just so hard to believe."

"You know this'll be all over the news once _the Prophet _catches wind of this," Bill warned. "Does the Minister know yet?"

"Yeah, Rufus knows" Arthur said.

"How did he find out before we did?" George asked.

"Yeah," agreed Fred. "And why hasn't he had Percy arrested yet?"

"Because Draco told him last week during his trial and the Minister wanted to give him a chance to tell us before making it public," Arthur answered. "To be quite honest, I would have much rather found out this way than by having to read about it in the paper and find out right along with the rest of the world. At least now we have some time to prepare ourselves for what's to come."

"And speaking of finding out before everybody else," George cut in. "Someone has to tell Ginny."

"Don't worry about your sister," Arthur said. "Minerva is taking her out of school and bringing her home tonight. She has already even agreed to give Ginny a week off if she so desires it because, once this goes public, people won't leave her alone about it."

"You really think it'll go public within the next few days?" Charlie asked.

"Well, now that Draco has told us," Arthur continued. "I imagine it won't be long till Rufus carts Percy off to Azkaban. They can't possibly allow him to walk free, not with a Dark Mark etched in his wrist. The only way Percy can escape Azkaban would be to make a run for it and go into hiding."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that anyone is on to him yet," said Fred. "So he won't run away because he isn't expecting to be arrested anytime soon. We have him right in the palm of our hands!"

"Do you _want_ to see your brother arrested?" Molly snapped.

"Well this _is _Percy we're talking about here after all," Fred chuckled. "Perfect little Percy the Prefect."

"This. Is. Not. Funny." Molly was spitting out every word through clenched teeth. She was glaring at Fred with a deadly look that made all of them want to run and hide.

"Geeze mum, calm down. I was only kidding," Fred assured her. "Of coarse I don't want to see Percy get arrested! Do you have any idea of what having a known Death Eater in the family will do to our business? Our family name has always been good throughout the wizarding community and Percy just had to come along and trash it! Now everything we've worked for will all mean _nothing!_ People aren't going to respect a single one of us now, all because of him!"

Another brief moment of silence passed. "He's right Molly," Arthur said softly. "I can't even begin to imagine the comments I'm gonna hear and the stares I'm gonna get from people at work once they all find out about this. It certainly is going to make life a lot harder. More complicated than it already is."

"Oh great," Molly scoffed. "That's just what we need is _more_ complications!"

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"Poor Molly," sighed Tonks. "I can't even imagine how much pain this news must cause her. And Arthur, he works at the ministry. doesn't he see Percy everyday?"

"Yes. And they've talked," said McGonagall, "talked about the Order. Talked about our plans and where we were going, what we were doing. And then Percy went right back to Voldemort and repeated everything to Voldemort."

"How can you be so sure it's Percy though?" Nevil asked.

"Because Draco just told us it was him," she answered.

"How can you be so sure that Draco wasn't lying?" Nevil demanded. "I don't trust him at all! And I can't believe they let him stay here after all the trouble he's caused."

"I would take Draco's word over anybody else's," McGonagall stated. "He has spent more time with Voldemort that anyone here. More time even than most of the Death Eaters have, seeing how as he was _forced_ to stay at Voldemort's side for the last three months that he was there. Draco knows a lot about Voldemort than you think. I trust him and I'm taking his word for it on this." McGonagall paused and looked around the room at each of them in turn. "Now then, does anyone else care to question my judgment today, or are you all finished? If you seriously view me as an incompetent leader, and you really don't think I know what I am doing by now, I will step down if that's what you all want."

"Minerva, no!" Tonks exclaimed. "That's not what we think at all! Why would you say something like that?"

"Well what am I supposed to think? You question me about Saleena and the private mission that I sent her on, you accuse Roxi of being a spy just because she is from a different country and now you won't believe what I am telling you about our spy just because the source of my information is Draco Malfoy. I'm beginning to get the feeling that you don't think I am capable of making decisions that are best for the team anymore," she accused. "Especially when you question every move I make."

"We're sorry," Tonks apologized on behalf of the group. We honesty didn't mean to make you feel that way Minerva. Did we guys?" Tonks stared directly at Fleur as she asked her last question.

"What?" she scoffed. "Of coarse you know I did not mean to upset her like zat."

"Yeah, and I'm sorry too professor," Nevil apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You are a great leader."

"We just worry about too much, that's all," said Remus. "With so much going on, it's getting harder and harder to take risks anymore. We can't be too careful."

"Well I thank all of you for being honest with me at least," McGonagall said. "However, I kneed you all to know that before I make a decision, I carefully consider all of the options and view it from every angle before I make it final. I interviewed both Draco and Roxi before I allowed them to step one foot into this room tonight. And as for Saleena, do you really think I would send her out on a her first mission for us _alone _if I didn't trust her? I am completely confident that she can do the job I sent her on."

"And we believe you," Lupin said.

"Thank you Remus," McGonagall said, standing up. "Well, I guess that about wraps up our meeting for tonight. If there are no other questions or concerns, then I need to get going. I have some business back at the school to attend to and I need to escort Ginny Weasley back here so that she can be with her family tomorrow when this hit's the news. I'm sure people will be raving about this for weeks to come."

"Goodnight Minerva," said Tonks.

"Goodnight you guys." After she left, Nevil and Luna followed her out.

Remus too got up and kissed his wife. "I gotta go too, honey," he said. "It's my night to patrol and it looks like I'm going to be working by myself tonight. I don't expect that Charlie and Bill will be up for much tonight."

"Just be careful Remus," she urged him. "Please! I'll stay here and make sure that Molly is okay. I want to be here for her if she needs any help with anything around the house. I don't think she'll be up for much cleaning for the next few days."

"I think that's a great idea," he told her. "Goodnight dear." He kissed her again and then he left. The only people left in the room after that were Fleur, Tonks and Roxi. Together, the three of them talked silently amongst themselves while they waited for Mrs. Weasly…


	9. First Meet

**First Meet**

The girls were still in the Weasley's sitting room talking about the events of the night when Draco silently passed through the room and went into the kitchen.

Roxi detached herself from the conversation and watched him intently as he passed by. Her eyes followed him until he could no longer be seen. "Excuse me for a sec you guys," she said to Tonks & Fleur. "I uh, I'm just gonna go to the kitchen and um, get something to drink. Like a uh, glass of water or something."

"Uh-hu, sure you are Roxi," Tonks said skeptically.

"What?" she asked.

Tonks shook her head. "Just go," she laughed.

Still confused about Tonks' reaction, she entered the kitchen shaking her head. She looked around but did not see Draco. _That's odd, _she thought. _I could have sworn he came in here._ She shrugged and walked over to the cabinet to get out a clean glass. She magically filled the cup with ice-cold water and began gulping it down.

Draco was sitting in the shadows at the end of the long kitchen table. He was almost completely concealed in darkness. He was thinking about Molly and Arthur and wondering what they were all talking about now. He had left the room before any of the boys had gotten up there and went into his room to rest. But he couldn't sleep, he was too distracted. He looked up at the clock on the wall. It was almost 10:00pm. The Weasleys had been talking for nearly an hour. Draco felt so terrible for hurting them - well, Molly & Arthur that is. As for Fred and George, he could really care less what their feelings were. They hadn't done anything for him, except annoy the hell out of him. He put his head in his hands and sighed.

There was a gasp, followed by a crash. Draco's sigh of frustration had startled Roxi and she dropped her glass of water. It hit the ground and shattered but Draco didn't even offer to get up and help her clean the mess. She cleaned it though in a matter of seconds with a simple swish of her wand. Then, acting as if nothing had happened, she refilled the glass and sat down at the table, three seats to the left of Draco. He didn't move when she sat down. He continued staring down at the table distractedly, his shoulder-length blonde hair hiding his face from her. He sighed again.

"Are you okay?" she asked him sheepishly. He didn't answer her. She changed tactics. "Soo uh, crazy night, hu?" She chuckled nervously.

"Did you want something?" He demanded. Draco looked up and, for the first time ever, he stared directly into the eyes of the strange new girl with the bright pink hair. He hadn't noticed her eyes before now because he had been too focused on her bright and outrageous appearance. His annoyance with her evaporated on the spot as he stared into her eyes. From her eyes, he moved on to her other features. Her button nose, her rosy cheeks, her dimples, and her soft lips. Again that strange, sort of vulnerable feeling he had felt during the meeting came back to him. He found himself _wanting _to be close to her, longing to know more about her. _What is wrong with me? _he wondered.

"I-I'd better be going," she said quickly, rising out of her chair. "I-I just came in here for a drink, and now I have one, so I'm just gonna, uh, go now. Sorry."

As she turned to leave, Draco called out to her, "no wait!" She stopped dead in her tracks. "Stay. Please. I-I'm the one who should be sorry here, not you. My behavior was inexplicable. I've just, well, there's a lot going on right now. But still, I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you. That was very wrong of me. Sorry. Again. I didn't mean-"

"Alright, I get it," she laughed, turning back around to face him again. "Apology excepted. I'm Roxi by the way. Roxi Zaroo. But I'm sure you already knew that from the meeting. The intense, crazy meeting that is." She walked over and sat back down, this time only leaving one chair in between them. "Is it always like that; those meetings? With all the shouting the and arguing, I mean."

Draco shrugged uncomfortably. Her sudden closeness made him a bit on edge. "I wouldn't know. That was my first meeting as well."

"Oh, then we have something in common. Cool!" she exclaimed. Roxi found herself strangely attracted to the sad blonde boy, and sitting here now, having a conversation with him, alone, only intensified those such feelings.

"I'm Draco by the way," he said, repeating her introduction. "Just Draco. I prefer not to use my last name. It's evil. I'm sure Tonks told you who I was though."

Roxi chuckled. "Yeah, she did. She said you guys were cousins. Oh, and thank you by the way," she added. "You know, for earlier, when you stood up for me. You didn't have to do that, you know. I mean, you don't even know me. But still, you did, and I thought it was very sweet. So thank you."

"Uh, your welcome," he said awkwardly.

"So is this Percy Weasley guy another one of Molly and Arthur's kids, or is he like their brother or something?"

Draco chuckled. "He's their third son."

"Geeze! How many kids do they have?"

Draco laughed aloud at this, despite his bad mood. He just couldn't help it. It was so strange, so foreign, for someone around here to _not know _how many children the Weasley's had. Everybody knew that! "Seven" he informed her.

"Wow, that's a lot!" Roxi exclaimed. "I've always wondered what it would be like to have brothers or sisters. I was an only child you see."

"Guess that makes two things we have in common," Draco told her.

"You were an only child too?" Draco nodded. "No way!" Then suddenly, she changed subjects. "So, why exactly is your last name evil?"

"Because my father is a dick." Draco spat.

"Oh," exclaimed Roxi. "That's nice." Draco gave her a weird look. "I was being sarcastic, sorry. I meant no offence, really! I'm just a very sarcastic person at times."

Draco smiled. "Make that three things." The two of them shared a laugh. "So you're a Metamorphmagus too, hu?"

"Yep!"

"I can see that you're very outspoken and, uh" he searched for the right word to describe her outlandish appearance. "Bright and uh, sortta outrageous, just like Tonks. Is that a Metamorphmagus thing or just a Tonks-and-Roxi thing?"

This time Roxi laughed. "No, I think it's just us. We like a lot of color, as you can tell. But I don't think that all of us are the same. I wouldn't know though because Tonks is the only other person like me that I've ever met before. Weird, hu?"

"You have no idea." He surveyed her appearance up-close now. Her clothes were almost as crazy and out of place as her hairdo. She had on a long-sleeved, white jacket-type shirt with 'Hello Kitty' on it, and a light pink tank top underneath it. And, even though it was freezing cold outside, she was wearing hot pink shorts that were almost the same shade as her somewhat short and spiky hair. On her feet were a pair of black flats. She was definitely a wired one in Draco's perspective. "Do all Americans dress like you do?"

Roxi laughed out loud. "No, this is another one of those Roxi-only things! I'm completely crazy, in case you haven't noticed," she joked.

"Really?" Draco said with heavy sarcasm. "Cuz, I never would have guessed that, had you not told me." Again, the two of them laughed. Draco was surprised at how easy it was to talk to her. He was strangely comfortable and at ease with her there.

After the laughter died down, Roxi decided to try for a more serious topic. "So, I take it you and your dad don't get along very well, hu?"

Draco frowned. "Not very well at all," he said. "But it wasn't always like that. I loved my father, I really did. I looked up to him, admired him, I even wanted to _be _him. Which was of coarse the thing that scared my mum the most." Draco shook his head. "All I ever wanted was his acceptance. But he never acknowledged me for a job well-done. Not even when I joined Voldemort and did unspeakable things for him. It still wasn't good enough for dear old dad! It took me years to finally see the truth; that my father didn't care about me. He has been lying to me since the day I was born! He never even _wanted _me! According to he and Voldemort, it was an accident that I was ever even conceived. He wanted me gone so badly that he tried to kill me! His first night out of Azkaban he comes home and, instead of being happy to see me, alive, he just starts doing all sorts of terrible, torturous things to me! Whatever Voldemort told him to do, he did it, no matter how terrible it was. And he didn't even flinch! It was like he didn't even care that he was hurting me! He even held me down while Voldemort poured a bottle of poison down my throat. I can never forgive him for that night!"

Roxi gaped at him in stunned silence. She was completely shocked. Never did she ever expect to have gotten an answer quite like that from him. It was so… so… open and so _honest_. Now she felt compelled to be honest with him as well. "Draco I'm so sorry that happened to you. It must have been awful," she said. "I can't even imagine having to go through something like that, especially not with my own father!" She shuddered at the thought of such a thing. "My dad and I have always been close. He's the only thing I've ever had. My mom died giving birth to me, you see. So I never knew her. Dad says that I get my talents from her though, but not my sarcasm. That comes from him," she laughed.

"I've always taken care of him, my dad. We've always taken care of each other actually. But, he isn't doing so great right now. He's sick. Real sick. He has some kind of cancer. He wont tell me what kind exactly though because he doesn't want me to worry. He's always putting on a show so that no one will expect how sick he really is. I try to be strong for him. That's why I came here. He was always _so_ insistent that I follow my dreams and learn as much as I possibly can. He wouldn't take No for an answer. He was so afraid that he was keeping me from my dreams. He was so wrong. But, this is what he wanted for me so, here I am! My aunt Monica is looking after him while I am over here. I trust her. She will let me know at once if something is wrong."

"I hope he's okay," Draco said sincerely. "And I'm sorry you never knew your mum. It sucks not having her around, I should know. I just recently lost my mother as well. She died trying to save me from Voldemort. He killed her, right in front of me. At least what happened with your mom wasn't your fault. It is entirely my fault however that my mum is dead. If I wasn't such a failure I wouldn't have had to be punished. And if I wouldn't have had to be punished, she wouldn't have felt the need to protect me. Then maybe she would still be alive."

"Draco, you cant blame yourself for your mother's death" Roxi said in a scolding tone. "I did that too for the longest time. But it's just like you just said, it wasn't my fault! There was nothing I could have done to stop it, I was just a baby! But it took me forever to realize that. Now, I've heard stories about Voldemort and, from what I've heard, he's not one to show much mercy. If he was torturing you and you were being held captive, then there was nothing you could have done to stop him! He would have probably done it anyways, weather he was provoked or not, because that's just the kind of person that he is. Once he's decided to kill you, there is no escape."

"I escaped," Draco reminder her. "Voldemort forced me to drink that poison and then he left me for dead. But thankfully Severus had enough of the antidote left to keep me alive long enough for Saleena to get here with the rest. Severus Snape is my dad's best friend. If you're an Auror, then I know you've heard of him. The ministry may tell you that he's evil, and so might the Order, but _I _am telling you that he is not. If it weren't for that man, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you right now. He basically saved my life. So please, if you ever run into him, please cut him some slack. The man's been through a lot, as we all have."

"Draco," she said softly. "I have to do my job."

"I understand that, but Severus Snape is _not _your enemy," he argued. "Listen, as if saving me wasn't enough already, Severus even went back and cleaned up the mess so that Voldemort would never suspect a thing. As far as the Dark Lord is concerned, right now I am buried out back along with my mother. He doesn't know that I am here because he thinks I am dead. So far, he has left the Weasley's alone, all thanks to Snape's efforts. But after tonight, that's all going to change. I don't expect I'll be able to stay here that much longer now. I'm going to have to find somewhere else to go."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because, after tonight, Voldemort will know that I am alive and he will know _exactly_ where to find me."

"How do you know that for sure?"

"I know," he said. "Because today at work, when Percy was expressing how preposterous it was that the Minister of Magic allowed me my freedom, Arthur Weasley told him that I was staying in his house just to get Percy to drop the subject. I know that Arthur meant no harm. He didn't even know that Percy was a Death Eater at that time. All he was trying to do was to get Percy to shut-up. And it worked alright! I bet you anything that Percy took that bit of information straight to Voldemort tonight. He's probably telling him that I am alive even as we speak. So now, when Percy get fired from his job tomorrow and the Ministry arrests him, Voldemort will know exactly who is responsible for turning Percy in in the first place and he will most likely come after me. Therefore, I can no longer stay in one place. I don't want him to find me. I can't go back there. I won't! And there is nothing anyone can say or do to get me to go back!"

"It's okay Draco, calm down" Roxi soothed. "You don't have to go back there. You don't have to go anywhere! I'm sure the Order will protect you, just as they promised to do. You have to give them _some_ credit! Let them do their jobs."

"You have no idea of what it was like there, Roxi." He shivered at the memory of it. "Voldemort's lair is probably a darker place then even Azkaban Prison. You had better hope that he never catches you. I wouldn't wish that kind of torture on anybody, especially not you."

"Especially not me?" she repeated his words in the form of a question.

"Well yeah, I-I mean uh," Draco stammered. "What I was trying to say is that you're a nice girl. Well, you seem to be, and Voldemort would just corrupt you. You would do best to stay as far away from him as possible."

"Thanks for that, I'll keep it in mind if I should ever get the chance to see him."

"You kind of made sound like you _want _to see him," Draco pointed out.

"Was I being that obvious?" She mused. "Well you know, I _would_ like to see him at least once. That way I will know what all the fuss is about. I wanna see first-hand why everybody is making such a big deal about him. Is that so much to ask?" Later on down the road, had Roxi known how the nights events would turn out, she never would have spoken those words. For, little did she know, she was about to get her wish. From outside, there was a loud _BOOM _and the whole house trembled.

"What the hell was that?" Draco asked. He soon got his answer.

Voldemort's cold voice echoed throughout the house. "Draco, I know you are alive and I know that you're in there. If you come out now, then there will be no need for me to tear this house down looking for you. If you do not come out however, I _will _come in there and get you. The place is now surrounded, there is no escape!"

Draco sat glued to his chair in shock and fear. He was too scared to move, too scared to breathe. His whole body started trembling. He didn't know what to do next. As much as he didn't want to go back with Voldemort, he didn't want to be the cause of the Weasley's loosing their only place to live even more. His thoughts were distracted for a moment as Roxi got up from her chair and crept over to the window.

"Roxi, what the hell are you doing?" he whispered harshly.

"I just wanna _see_ him," she whispered back.

"Are you out of your mind?" he barked.

She ignored Draco and peered out the window anyways. "Damn it," she said. "I can't see anything from this angle! I'm gonna have to go outside."

"Roxi, No! Are you crazy? He'll see you," Draco warned.

"I happen to be a master of disguise, he isn't going to see me," she said with confidence. "Look, I'll be right back in a jiffy, don't worry about me!" Then without another word, she vanished from sight, apparating out onto the lawn, behind the bushes.

Moments later Tonks was in the kitchen. "Draco, get out of here now, before he sees you!" she commanded. "Arthur told me to come in here and get you. He says that, no matter what Voldemort says, you are _not _to surrender yourself to him."

"But what if he attacks their house?"

"He can't," she said. "This house has loads of protective spells all around it. It would take him all night the break through all of them. Do you really think we'd set up headquarters here and leave it unprotected? Now get out of here and go upstairs to your room. It's safer up there." Draco didn't budge. "Draco, what are you waiting for?"

"It's Roxi," he said. "She's out there. Alone. With _him!"_

"Roxi _what?_ What do you mean she's _out there? _Surely she didn't go outside," Tonks stated. "She knows better than that!"

"Yeah well, apparently she doesn't," Draco corrected. "She left to go outside. She said she wanted to get a good look at Voldemort close-up in person."

"WHAT?" Tonks blurted, forgetting to talk in a whisper. "Is she crazy? Have I taught her nothing?"

"Tonks, shhh!" Draco urged. "He'll hear you!"

Tonks regained her composure. "You're right. We need to focus. Roxi is a highly trained Ministry official _and_ member of the Order of the Phoenix. She is perfectly capable of taking care of herself."

"No she isn't," Draco corrected. "She forgot her wand." Draco pointed at the end of the table to where Roxi had set her wand down after filling up the glass of water.

"Damn it!" Tonks slammed her fist down on the table. "What the hell was she thinking going out there unguarded and unprotected like that?"

"Apparently she wasn't thinking at all," Draco said.

"Why didn't you stop her?"

"Believe me, I tried! But she wouldn't listen to me though! This is not my fault!"

"No you're right Draco, it's not" Tonks agreed. "And arguing about this right now won't do anybody any good. You need to get out of here & go upstairs where it is safe."

Again, the house shook. "What is that?" Draco asked, catching his balance.

"It's Voldemort. He keeps trying to attack the house," Arthur answered, rushing into the kitchen. "His spells aren't hitting us though because our protective charms are blocking him. So every time he attacks, it bounces off the barrier, and that's what's causing the crashes. But don't worry, we have a plan in place to get rid of him. Just don't do anything rash, okay Draco?"

"Fine," he agreed. "I'll just be a good little boy and go run and hide in my room."

"Now Draco, you know it isn't like that" Arthur consoled. "We are under attack and we are about to fight back. We just don't want anybody to get hurt."

"Arthur," Tonks exclaimed. "Roxi's out there!"

"She's what?" Arthur ran over and peered out the window. Roxi was nowhere to be seen. "Where? I don't see her."

"Get away from the window before Voldemort sees _you!" _Tonks demanded.

"He's not going to see me," Arthur said. "As a matter of fact, he _can't _see me. He cant see any of us. It's just one of the many protective spells we have around the house," he explained. "Whenever Voldemort looks at the house, to him all the curtains are drawn, the doors are shut, and the porch is empty. But that illusion of invisibility only extends out as far as the bushes up against the porch. So as long as she is somewhere behind there, he cannot see her."

"Well then, lets hope for her sake that she is," said Draco. "If he catches her…" Draco trailed off, unable to fathom what he would do if that were to happen.

From outside, Voldemort was in an uproar because none of his spells were doing _any_ damage to the house. No matter what he tried, it still remained in tact and unscathed. The house looked empty, as if nobody was even home. Curious, the Dark Lord ceased his attack for a moment. He cocked his head to the side and listened to see what he could hear. Sure enough, there were voices coming from inside.

"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" he shouted. "Quit playing games and get out here and face me you cowards!" He launched another blast at the house and again, it bounced off and went flying into the field. "Damn it!" He yelled in frustration. "This stupid house keeps blocking out all my attacks! Obviously, I cannot attack it." He stopped and rethought about what he had _just _said. "Yes, _I_ cannot attack the house. There are barriers around it that are blocking _me,_" he mused. "However, I highly doubt that any of those barriers were designed to block attacks from one of their own."

He smiled as the most perfect idea came to him. "Alright, fine! If that's the way you want it to be," he called out to the people inside. "_I _may not be able to attack your precious little house, but I'll bet I know somebody who can!" Voldemort looked over at a small group of trees to his left. He knew that several of his loyal Death Eaters were hiding back there, waiting for their next orders to be given. "Percy Weasley," he called. "Get out here now!"

Percy was stunned. He couldn't believe Voldemort was calling him out in front of his parents. He stood in shock, frozen on the spot, hoping he was hearing things.

"NOW!" Voldemort repeated.

From inside the house, even Tonks was at the window now, watching, as Percy scrambled out from behind the trees and rushed over to Voldemort's side.

"Percy," said the Dark Lord. "I want you to attack this house. Set it on fire! Make them all come running out. Make them wish they had listened to me sooner!"

"What?" Percy asked, bewildered. "This is _my _house too you know. You cant just ask me to-"

"_I'M_ GIVING THE ORDERS HERE!" Voldemort raged. "Now do it, and do it NOW!"

Percy nearly jumped off the ground in fright as Voldemort raised his voice. He took aim and, squeezing his eyes shut tight, he sent a blast of fire towards the porch. It missed the house, however, and instead ignited the bushes.

Voldemort was furious. "You idiot!" he bellowed. "I said the _house, _not the bushes! Do you know what I outta do to you right now for deliberately disobeying me like that?"

Fortunately for Percy, and unfortunately for Roxi, the bush he had set ablaze was the very same bush that she was hiding behind. Roxi came running out from behind the bushes, yelling "Aahhhhh, fire! Fire! Fire!" She wasn't paying any attention to where she was going, so she therefore didn't realize that she was running right towards the Death Eater's hiding place.

"GET HER!" Voldemort commanded.

Two cloaked figures came out from behind the trees and grabbed ahold of Roxi. She then stopped screaming, "fire" and started yelling "let go of me you freaks!"

The two masked Death Eaters drug her over to Voldemort and held her in front of him. She quit fighting with them and immediately held perfectly still as the Dark Lord surveyed her with great interest. Roxi held her breath, waiting for him to speak.

"Well, well, well Percy," he said. "It looks like you may have done something right after all. You should be grateful to this girl. She just saved your ass from getting a severe punishment tonight." Percy gulped and looked down, ashamed and embarrassed.

Voldemort took a minute to get into Roxi's head. A minute was all he needed to gain the information he wanted to know. He learned from her thoughts who she was, where she was from, why she was here, _and_ a few other things he hadn't been expecting. For example; this girl was a Metamorphmagus, _and_ she seemed to actually have feelingsfor Draco. The last few facts Voldemort found to be _very _interesting, especially the one about Draco. He smiled as a new idea dawned on him.

"Don't worry," he said to Roxi. "I am not going to kill you now."

"Oh, now that's a relief," she said sarcastically.

"Don't make me change my mind," Voldemort hissed, aiming his wand at her heart. "What were you doing behind that bush anyways?"

"Oh, nothing" she answered vaguely.

He pushed through her mind again and found the answer he was looking for. "Ah, so you wanted to _see_ me, did you?" he asked. "How thoughtful of you. I must say, I am honored by your curiosity. After all, you've traveled a long way to come over here and fight against me, haven't you? Tell me something, based on what you've seen since you've been here, do you really think that the Ministry and the Order can defeat me?"

"Well, I am a firm believer in the fact that anything is possible. Therefore it is possible that the war could go either way. I mean, it all just depends on the outcome of every event combined. " she said.

"What a smart girl," Voldemort credited.

"You know something," she said. "You kinda remind me of somebody, but I just cant quite figure out who." She paused to think for a moment, then she snapped her fingers. "Oh wait, now I know who it is; you kinda look like Michael Jackson! You know, he used to have a nose too, _and _he's white now. Go figure!" Roxi laughed at her own joke but on one else there seemed to get it. Seeing how as she was talking to a group of evil _wizards_ in London, she knew that none of them would have even known who Michael Jackson was. Which was, of coarse, the very reason she knew it would be safe to even say such a thing in the first place. She had just insulted _the_ Lord Voldemort without him even realizing it. She chuckled again, amused by her own cleverness.

Her moment of joy was cut short however as Voldemort grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer to him. The two Death Eaters who were holding her stepped back quickly. "I have no idea of what exactly you meant by what you just said," He said to her. "But quite frankly, I don't really care at this moment, because we can deal with all this later. You're coming with me." Then, for the last time, he turned again to address the people inside the house. "Are you listening to me, Draco?" he asked. "I have your American girl here, and I am taking her with me. If you _ever_ want to see her alive again, you willreturn to me by this time tomorrow night. Otherwise, you will never see her again!"

He then turned and disapparated on the spot, taking Roxi along with him. Several loud _cracks _echoed out across the fields as the rest of Voldemort's Death Eaters followed their masters lead. The last of them to disappear was Percy Weasley, who took one last look at the house before leaving. Unlike Voldemort and the rest of the Death Eaters, he _could_ actually see into the windows. He looked up into what he knew to be his mother and father's bedroom window. His two twin brothers were standing there, each with the same murderous glare etched on their face. Then Percy noticed the angry shadow of his father's face, glaring at him from the kitchen window. For a brief moment, he glared right back with just as much intensity. Then he too turned on the spot, vanishing from sight…


	10. Captured

**Captured**

Seconds later, Roxi was standing on the moonlit lawn of a shabby, rundown, abandoned mansion. The sight of the old house alone gave her chills. "Uh, nice place you got here," she said nervously.

Lord Voldemort's grip was still firm on her arm. "Why, thank you," he replied brightly. "This used to be my father's house."

"Oh! Well it was awfully nice of him to give this place to you to use as your, uh, lair."

"He didn't _give_ me this house you stupid girl," Voldemort growled. "I took it! My father used to live here with his parents until one day, I came in and killed them all!"

Roxi was clearly appalled. "You _killed_ your own father?"

"Of coarse I did," Voldemort said, sounding as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. "He was just a stupid, good for nothing muggle after all! He wasn't any good to anyone. None of them were. So I just disposed of them and left. But that was a long time ago, and it wasn't until recently that I decided to come back here and set up headquarters. This place is perfect because the muggles who live in the town ahead all believe this house is haunted. They don't suspect a thing! And I have put up my own protective spells all around this house, of coarse, so the ministry can't track it down. And, if you do get the chance to leave here tomorrow, you will have no recollection of what this place whatsoever. What it looks like, where it even is, nothing! It will be almost completely wiped from your mind. I will personally see to that, because only my Death Eaters may come and go here as they please. You would have to have a Dark Mark to ever be able to ever get back here without me knowing about it."

Roxi nodded. "Good to know," she muttered.

Voldemort acted as though he didn't hear her. "Enough talk, lets go." He yanked on her arm and forced her through the front door. They went straight down to the basement where Voldemort had set up several cells. It somewhat reminded Roxi of the dungeons she has seen pictured in her fairytale storybooks growing up. It creped her out tremendously. They walked over to the nearest cell and Voldemort shoved her in it. He slammed the door shut and used his wand to locked it. Roxi then noticed that there was no key or keyhole on the cell door.

As if he had read her mind, Voldemort explained, "These doors are locked and unlocked by magic. Only myself and a very select few of my Death Eaters know the spell to unlock them, so there is no possible way you can escape. Not until tomorrow night that is. When Draco gets here, he can trade you places. If he doesn't show however, well then you had better make yourself comfortable, Miss. Roxi. You'll be staying for a while." He flashed a grin at her that sent chills down her spine.

Roxi gulped. She had to admit it, she was definitely scared now. She could see no possible way out of this situation. _Oh Roxi, _she thought to herself. _What have you gotten yourself into now? _

"Have a good night," Voldemort chimed wickedly. Then he stalked back up the basement steps, leaving Roxi alone in the dark.

She sat down in the very back corner of the cell and leaned against the cold bars. She pulled her legs in close to her and hugged them tightly. She put her head on her knees and sighed. "What am I going to do?" she said aloud, talking to no one but herself.

"Well, I might have an idea," a sly voice answered her.

Frightened by the unexpected answer, Roxi gasped and looked up quickly. She hadn't realized that she wasn't alone. But then again, she should have known that she couldn't possibly be Voldemort's only prisoner. "Wh-who's there?" she asked nervously.

"Relax, it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you," assured the voice. "I just want to talk to you."

Roxi trembled, struggling for a moment to pull herself together. She was very uncomfortable with not knowing to whom she was speaking to. "T-talk to me about what?"

"Well, for starters, did I just hear the Dark Lord say that he was using _you_ to lure Draco Malfoy into coming back here?" the man asked with a worried tone.

"Yeah," she answered honestly.

"So, do you really think he'll come?" asked the smooth voice.

"Well I wouldn't blame him if he didn't," she said. "I mean, after all, he doesn't really know me. And, well, it shouldn't be his responsibility to get me out of this when I got myself put in here in the first place. I _did _kinda walk right into this," she chuckled, amused by her own stupidity. '_Curiosity killed the cat', _she thought to herself. "And besides," she continued, "I don't thinkVoldemort intends to harm _me_. But Draco on the other hand, I know that Voldemort means to kill _him_. If he were to come here, he'd be walking right to his death. So, if it were me, I wouldn't risk something like that for somebody I barley knew."

The voice paused for a moment. "Do you _want _him to come?" he asked.

"No! Of coarse not!" she exclaimed. "One thing I _do_ know about him is how much he hates it here. He has already made that point _very _clear already!"

"Well, what if I told you he didn't have to come here? What if I said that I could get you out? Would you listen to what I had to say?"

"Who are you? And why would you even want to help me?" she demanded. "You don't know me, and I certainly don't know you. So why do you even care?"

The man sighed. "It's Draco. He's the one I am concerned about," he admitted. "I do _not_ want him to come back here. I don't want him anywhere near this place. Because it's just as you said; if he comes back here, the Dark Lord will surely kill him!"

"So, let me get this straight," Roxi said, trying her best to solve this new mystery. She was doing anything just to keep her mind off the present. "You care about Draco so much so that you are willing to risk your own life to help me escape from here just so that he wont come here to try and save me?"

"That's right."

"But why? Why would you do something like that? Why do you even care so much"

"Because Draco's life means more to me than my own," he answered. "I could not bear it if anything more were to happen to him."

Roxi slowly crawled towards the door of her cell, where the mysterious voice was coming from, so as to get a better look at the man she was talking to. From this new angle, she could now make out the shape of a cloaked figure, standing just a few feet away from her cell. He wasn't another one of Voldemort's prisoners, he was one of Voldemort's Death Eaters! Looking through the iron bars, it was difficult for Roxi to see much of his face, for it was still hidden in shadow. His long blonde hair, however, was practically glowing in the dark. And, as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, there was one feature on him that stood out to her above all else; his eyes. Those deep, cold, pale blue, unblinking eyes that stared down at her now were almost identical to the set of eyes that had stared at her from across the Weasley's living room earlier that night. She could never mistake those strikingly translucent eyes, for they were the very first thing she had ever noticed about Draco Malfoy. The very first thing about him that she had fallen in love with…

"Who are you?" she asked again. Only this time, Roxi was positive she already knew.

"Surely you have that one figured out already, don't you?" he said, slightly amused. "I can tell that just by the way you're looking at me right now."

"A-Are y-you," she stuttered. She cleared her throat. "Are you Draco's father?"

He smiled. "Lucius Malfoy, at your service."

"Well, why the hell didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" Roxi scoffed. "You just to go and be all mysterious, didn't you? Do you have any idea how creepy that was?"

"Are you kidding me?" He shot back. "You're an Auror for crying out loud! You work at the Ministry! I know very well that they don't speak too highly of me _there_," Lucius exclaimed. "And besides that, it's hard to tell what kind of horrible things Draco's been saying about me. I'm sure you heard an earful already, and you have your own opinion of me drawn out by now. If I would've just come out and directly stated who I was, you probably wouldn't even be speaking to me right now, now would you?"

"Well, I suppose you are right about that," she admitted. "Had I known it was _you_, I might not've wanted to continue this conversation. But, in my defense, you are right after all. I _have_ heard some pretty nasty things about you, especially in the ministry! They all tell me that you are a very dangerous killer, Mr. Malfoy."

"Dangerous? Ha!" Lucius chuckled. "I guess I was, back in my time. But that was a very _long _time ago. And my past is not necessarily something that I am proud of, let me tell you."

"Well we all have skeletons in our closet, don't we?" she asked. "We've all done things we're not proud of. But _you _on the other hand, Mr. Malfoy," she pointed a scolding finger at him. "You give regret a whole new meaning! I mean, torturing your own son, and then poisoning him and leaving him for dead - what kind of father does that to his only child? It's no wonder Draco hates you!" Lucius' jaw dropped. "Oh yeah, I just went there!" she said in response to his shocked expression. "I know all about the things you've done Lucius and, by all means, I sure as hell hope that you wouldn't be proud of having done something like that!"

"You foolish little girl," he spat. "How _dare _you speak to me in that tone! You have no right to talk to me like that because you haven't the slightest clue as to what _really_ happened that night. You weren't even there!"

"You're right I wasn't there, which is probably a good thing," she added. "So why don't you just tell me what happened then?"

In an instant, Lucious was calm. "You actually want to hear _my side_ of the story? Really?" Lucius acted surprised but really, he was not. In all actuality, this was exactly what he had been hoping for from the start. Now, he would tell her his side of things, in hopes that she would go back and try to explain it all to Draco.

"Well don't sound so surprised," Roxi grinned.

"Sorry, it's just that, well, nobody has ever asked me for _my_ opinion before. If anyone ever wants my opinion around here, its usually given to me." Lucius chuckled darkly.

"So what happened then?" she pried.

"Well for starters," he began. "I came home from Azkaban and went to see Narci-sa," he painfully chocked out her name, "and it was then that she told me the Dark Lord had been holding Draco captive for nigh on three months. Naturally, I panicked. I didn't know what to do, or where to go. After she helped me to calm down, she then told me that Voldemort was keeping our son hostage in this very basement. So, I cleaned myself up and hurried down here as quickly as I could. He had Draco tied up and backed into a corner over there," Lucius pointed to a corner of the room behind him, "like some kind of animal. I don't know what he was doing to him, but Draco was screaming, and the sound of his pain was gut wrenching. But the Dark Lord however, found it to be hilarious. When I asked him what the hell he was doing, he just turned around and addressed me like there was nothing wrong at all. I know he could tell that I was furious with him, but still he acted all calm, cool and collected. He's good about that. Here I was, trembling with rage, and Voldemort was just standing there, _amused_. I should have known right then and there that he had some kind of sick plan up his sleeve. But at that very moment, all I could think about was getting _him _to keep his filthy hands off my son."

Lucius paused and took a deep breath. "So I demanded that he leave Draco alone and stop whatever it was he was doing. To which he oddly enough agreed and backed away, saying that he needed a break anyways. Then after that was settled, I began trying to explain myself as to why I failed the mission he'd sent me on, the one that got me locked up in Azkaban in the first place."

"Yeah, I heard about that one," Roxi stated. "Didn't you guys like break into the Department of Mysteries and try to steal something in the Hall of Prophecy?"

"Yes," he answered. "Yes we did. It was a highly important prophecy involving the Dark Lord and Harry Potter, and I had it, right there in my hands! But because the stupid Order of the Phoenix butted in, I lost it. Because they just had to stick their noses in where they didn't belong, the mission failed, and the prophecy is now forever lost. And I was the one who Voldemort had put in charge that night, therefore all the blame fell onto me. However, as it was, I got caught and sent to Azkaban, so the Dark Lord never had a chance to punish me properly for my failures. A fact that I had not yet forgotten at the time we were talking that night. When I tried telling him what had happened, he didn't want to hear any of it. He was still so furious over me loosing that prophecy, even though more than a year had passed since it had happened. You see, that's one thing you need to know about the Dark Lord; he doesn't forget things that often. Not when someone displeases him.

"So then, he starts going on and on and on about how I was such a failure, and about how my son was following in my footsteps. He said that Draco and I were both nothing but failures and that we deserved to be punished. Then he said that he had the most perfect punishment of all in store for me. I waited for him to elaborate, and then he told me to put Draco under the _Cruciatus Curse. _I panicked, and naturally I refused to do it. Which, of coarse, caused him to put _me _under the _Cruciatus_ _Curse_ instead." Lucious shuddered at the memory of it all.

"I have no idea how long it lasted for. All I know is that I hadn't had _that_ done to me in so long, my body had forgotten how incredibly painful that curse actually is." He could tell Roxi was confused, so he explained it more. "You see, I had somewhat grown accustomed to Voldemort's torture curse because he'd used it to me so often, for so long. After a while, your body sort of becomes immune to such torment. However, during my time in Azkaban, they still had Dementors, so there was no need for the unforgivables. Therefore, I wasn't used to having to tolerate that such pain anymore. But, after the first initial shock of it all went away, the pain didn't bother me anymore, and I told Voldemort that. I told him that he'd be better off to just kill me and get it over with, because I was _not_ about to do that to my own son. But that plan stupid backfired me though, because then Voldemort just threatened to kill Draco first, tie me down like that and kill me slowly. I didn't want that. I couldn't imagine being tied down and beaten like a dog. Not to mention, I didn't want to give him _any _excuses whatsoever to kill Draco. So I knew, right then and there, that the only way I could save my son would be to comply with whatever Voldemort instructed me to do. So it did it. I put Draco under the _Cruciatus Curse _and I didn't stop until the Dark Lord gave me permission to do so."

"What kind of monster are you?" Roxi shrieked. "You should have stood up to him better than that! I mean, grow some balls!"

"Do you have any idea of what using an unforgivable curse even requires?" Lucius raged. "You're an Auror for gods sake, you should know this by now!"

"Well yeah, that's easy," she said. "You have to _mean_ _it_ in order for it to be very effective. You have to seriously _want_ to hurt someone in order to get one of those curses to work. That's why they're unforgivable."

"Exactly," Lucius spat. "And do you think for one minute that I actually _meant _to do that sort of thing to my Draco? Do you honestly believe that I _wanted _to cause my only son that kind of pain? I would _never_ hurt him like that intentionally! NEVER!"

"I should hope not," Roxi muttered.

"And just think, if Voldemort had been the one doing that to Draco, it would have hurt a hundred times more than anything I did! Draco probably would have been driven mad by the end of the night, had it been Voldemort and not me!"

"Well, I suppose that does kinda makes sense," she admitted. "But then, how do you explain Draco's broken leg? I was told that _you_ did that."

Lucius' face went dark. "_That _was a new spell that the Dark Lord had invented and wanted _me_ to test out for him. I can assure you that I had _no_ idea whatsoever of what that spell would do to Draco before I cast it. It was sick, and wrong, and disgusting! It almost hurt me as much as it did him." Lucious shook his head in disgust. "But don't you see? If _I _hadn't been the one testing out that spell, if it had been Voldemort, _he_ would not have stopped at just one leg. The Dark Lord would have enjoyed something like that, and he would have broken every bone in Draco's body. I know that's what would have happened, had I not been there."

"And the poison? You almost killed him," Roxi accused.

"NO! I_ saved_ him," Lucius insisted.

"WHAT? How do you save someone by shoving vile of poison down their throat? She demanded. "It like, here, drink this, it'll save your life! NOT!"

"LISTEN!" he commanded. "When Voldemort gave me that vile and told me what it was, he demanded that I pour _all_ _of_ _it_ down Draco's throat. But then, when he wasn't looking, I not-so-accidentally spilled some of it! Draco was squirming around in resistance, and my hands were trembling enough as it was. So you see, it wasn't that hard to _accidentally _spill half the bottle! Nor was it that difficult to hold Draco in such a position that it caused him to cough up even more of it whilst trying to gulp it down. So altogether, I'd say that he only got about a third of that dose of poison, and it was all because _I_ was there. _My_ _hands_ were the ones doing everything that night, and not Voldemort's. That's the important thing to remember here! For if the Dark Lord had been the one forcing Draco to drink that, you know he would have gotten all of it. And, if he had been given all of it, he never would have survived until Arthur got home from work, let alone make it until Saleena got there! So don't you see how I saved him? I gave him a fighting chance! Then _I _wrote Arthur Weasley a letter, begging him to take Draco in. Pleading for the Order to offer him their protection! And I gave them every last cent I had left to my name to help heal him. If it were not for me, Draco wouldn't still be alive!"

There was a tense moment of silence as Roxi pondered all of what Lucius had just said. "You know what?" she stated. "That actually makes sense. You really were only doing what you _had_ to do in order to protect him." Roxi shook her head, staring at Lucius as if she were looking at a whole new person. "Wow! You must be very brave to have put yourself through that, Mr. Malfoy. I know that I could have never done something like that to someone I loved, even if I knew it were the lesser of two evils. I admire your strength."

"It was torture!" he cried. "That was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure. In all my years of being a Death Eater, I have _never_ regretted joining Voldemort more so than I did that night. Up until that point, I'd never even so much as despised the Dark Lord before. And I hadn't felt that much rage inside myself since the very night that Draco was born. But that's a whole 'nother story." Lucious sighed and silently wiped a tear from his cheek. "In the end, I guess it's safe to say that the Dark Lord was right after all; that wasthe worst punishment I could have ever been given. _Nothing_ could have hurt me more than to be forced to inflict that much pain onto my Draco. I do care about that boy. Deeply. More than words can describe."

"Then you mean you _love_ him," she corrected.

Lucius snorted. "_Love! _What a silly concept. Such a thing does not exist, Roxi. I for one have only ever _thought_ that I felt that way about one person in my entire life…" He trailed off. "But it doesn't matter anymore, because she's gone now."

"What happened to Draco's mother, Lucius?" Roxi asked softly.

"_He _killed her!" Lucius growled. "You see, when I left her, I told Narcissa that I was just going to come down here to try and get Voldemort to let Draco go. When I didn't come back after a couple of hours, she began to worry and she came down here to check on me. I have no idea how long she was standing there, but I do know that she watched me pour the poison down Draco's throat. She didn't know what was in that vile, but it wasn't too hard to guess. The crazy thing is that she actually thought that I _wanted_ to do that to Draco. She thought I was _enjoying_ myself! She couldn't see the pained expression on my face because my back was turned towards her. And when I tried to explain myself to her, we got into an argument and we started fighting over Draco. Again. That was always the cause of the majority of our fights, Draco was." Lucious sighed and plunged onwards.

"Anyhow, I guess our bickering annoyed the Dark Lord, because he said he was getting sick and tired of hearing us fight over Draco _all_ the time. He said it was finally time to end it, once and for all. Then everything happened so fast after that. Voldemort pointed his wand at Draco, and took aim. My back was turned towards him, so I didn't even see what was going on, not until Narcissa screamed and shoved past me, that is. She ran right out in front of our son, just as Voldemort spoke the words _Avada Kedavera._ His killing curse hit her square in the chest, protecting Draco, but killing Narcissa. Her body crumpled to the ground with such a defining thud that it still haunts me in my sleep sometimes. I think her body even may have landed on top of Draco's legs, but I don't know. I cant remember very much from that moment, all except the numbness that I felt at the time. Shock, grief, pain, sickness, agony, despair, hopelessness. I was lost in it all. I might have even stopped breathing there for a moment. Meanwhile, Draco was laying on the floor, screaming and gagging at the same time as the poison started to take ahold. I knew then that it was only going to be a matter of time before I lost him too. I remember feeling as if I were watching it all unfold from a distance. And how, in literally one second, the seemingly perfect walls of my existence all four came crashing down around me. My family had been ripped apart and taken away from me. They were soon to be both gone, and all that I had held dear in this world was then missing. I felt completely empty, and hollow inside…

"And Voldemort laughed," Lucius sneered. "He _laughed_ at the fact that he had single-handedly destroyed the Malfoy family in just one night. You would think that Christmas had just come early for him, the way he was dancing about and laughing with so much pleasure! And to top it all of, just as he was leaving to go and celebrate al of his success, he ordered _me _to clean up the mess! He seriously expected me to just be able to pick up the dead bodies of my wife and son, and dispose of them like it was no big deal! It was sick! Voldemort left down here me alone and, in that moment, I seriously considered killing myself. I think that the Dark Lord expected I would. In fact, to be perfectly honest, I believe that that was his intent all along - for me to take my own life that night. And, well, if Severus hadn't showed up when he did, I very well just might have done it too." Lucious drew in a shaky breath. He was trying his hardest not to cry. "I don't care what people may say about him, that man is a saint in my book. Severus Snape is _not _the villain everyone thinks he is. He isn't as evil as they make him out to be. Severus may be the only Death Eater out there who does have a heart, and a great one at that!" At this, Roxi chuckled a little. Lucius shot her a look. "There is nothing funny about that!" he barked.

"No, no, I know," she said quickly. "But what is funny is that Draco pretty much said the same thing to me that you just did. He made me promise not to go after him if I ever came across him on the job. He told me that it was Snape who saved his life."

"Technically he did," Lucius confirmed. "It was after all, Severus' idea to ask the Order to protect Draco. He somehow knew that they wouldn't say no. Said it had something to do with Dumbledore's last wishes, or something like that. I'm a bit foggy on the details. But it took Severus coming down here and knocking some sense into me, and I do mean that literally, to get me to realize that it wasn't too late to save Draco. He even gave Narcissa a proper burial while I went upstairs and wrote the letter to Arthur. Then he helped me carry Draco up onto their porch and lay him in the swing. He put the note in a place that he knew Arthur would be sure to find it. The entire thing was all Severus' plan, his idea, and it all worked out brilliantly. The man's a genius!"

"Draco seems to think highly of him too you know," Roxi pointed out.

"Yeah well, Severus _is _Draco's Godfather," Lucius told her. "He has always protected Draco in every way that I could not. Severus loves that boy. Almost as much as I do."

"Is he really Draco's Godfather?" Roxi asked, intrigued. "Cuz Draco never mentioned that to me before."

"That's because we never told him," Lucius confessed.

"What? Why? How could you keep something like that from your son?"

"Because, the fewer people who know about it, the lesser the chances are of the Dark Lord finding out," he explained. "There are only four people, well now five now, including you, to have ever known about this, so you must swear not say anything! Especially not to Draco. If Voldemort ever finds out about this, there is no telling what he would do to Severus, or to Draco, or even to me for that matter."

"Alright, alright I get it," Roxi agreed. "I wont say anything to him. But I really do think that _you_ should. Draco is your son after all. If you ever want him to trust you again, don't you think that it would be better to just be honest with him for a change?"

"I understand your concern Roxi," Lucius said appreciatively. "Really, I do. Don't think for one second that I haven't already thought that very same thing, because I have. But it's Voldemort, he gets into Draco's head _way_ too easily. And that's only because Draco hasn't been trained properly on how to keep his thoughts protected from the intrusion of others. Anyone with even an inkling of Legilamens could probably penetrate his mind with no problem at all."

"Really?" Roxi asked, intrigued.

"Yes, really. But I wouldn't advise you to do it. My son is like I am, he's a very private person. However, I was forbidden to ever broach the subject Occlumency with Draco a very long time ago, so he doesn't have that extra ability of protection. At that time, the Dark Lord just wanted a way to use Draco as a means to spy on Narcissa and I to see if we were keeping secrets from him. Eventually though, we caught onto that fact, and then we realized then that the only way possible to keep our secrets from Voldemort, was to in turn keep them from our son as well," Lucious sighed. "Which is another thing that I honestly believe Voldemort had planned all along, that sick bastard. He _wanted _us to have to keep things from our son. He didn't want Draco to trust us! Because, if Draco didn't trust us, then Voldemort could be more able to easily manipulate him more when he got older. Which, as you know, he already has. But thank god Draco has finally seen through all Voldemort's crap and finally realized what he really is; an evil, psychotic monster!"

"So, let me get this straight," Roxi was finally fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together at last. "You think that Voldemort knew, that if Draco knew, that you were keeping secrets from him, he would eventually hate you for it, and he wouldn't trust you anymore, so that's why he ordered you not to teach Draco Occlumency in the first place? You seriously believe that Voldemort was really using Draco as a tool to spy on his own parents?"

Lucius nodded. "Yep, that's pretty much it."

"Do you want to know what I think?" she said, giving him an incredulous look. "I think you're giving him _way _too much credit. I think that you're making up excuses to hide behind the fact that you lied to your only son for twenty years, and now he despises you for it. I think you just want an easy way to escape the guilt that you feel, so you find it best to just blame Voldemort for all of your problems. You aren't man enough to fess-up to your mistakes all on you own, and I think that-"

"-Alright, I get it!" Lucius shouted, cutting her off sharply. "And I rightly don't give a damn about what you _think! _You don't know the Dark Lord like I do! You can't see how his mind works because you haven't been around him as long as I have. You're new to this war, so you have _no idea of _what he's capable of. I'm telling you, that man is an evil genius!"

Once again, there was a moment of tense silence between them in which they both glared at each other in the darkness. Roxi sighed, admitting defeat at last. "You're right," she said. "I don't know him. I have no idea what he's really like. All I have to go on are the stories I've heard. My mind was just conflicted because, I've never heard anything about him from a Death Eater's prospective until now. The truth is, you probably really do know him better than anyone else in this war."

Lucius shook his head. "No, not me. Bellatrix knows him a lot better than I do."

"Bellatrix? As in Bellatrix Lestrange?" Roxi recognized that name from her Auror training. "You know her?"

"Well yeah, of coarse I know her! She's Narcissa's sister, and my sister-in-law. Unfortunately," he added bitterly. "And she's the only female Death Eater in existence thus far. The Dark Lord is seemingly fond of her, but not nearly as fond as she is of him. That woman makes me sick sometimes, the way she behaves."

"But what about your wife, Narcissa, wasn't she a Death Eater too?"

"No. Not officially that is," Lucius answered. "Meaning, she didn't have the Dark Mark. Thank God. However, Narcissa was indeed very much a follower of Voldemort, even though she wasn't marked a Death Eater. She just wasn't eternally bound to him like I am. But she always went along with whatever I did, and she was both loyal to me and to the Dark Lord. I guess he took that devotion as a good enough sign of her allegiance, because he never really bothered her about it. He never once even tried forcing it on her, not once. So Narcissa always was, but technically wasn't, one of us. She could have left at any time she wanted to. But she never did. She always stuck by my side, no matter what." Lucius blinked, hard, as he choked back the tears that were still forming in his eyes. "God, I miss that woman!"

"You're not the only one, you know" Roxi reminded him softly. "Draco misses her too. He cant even say the words _my mother _in a sentence without choking up."

"And I suppose that he blames _me_ for her death too, doesn't he?"

"Yes," she answered simply. "But, Mr. Malfoy, I hope you know that it was not -"

"- It was _entirely_ myfault," Lucius shrieked. "So why shouldn't he blame me? Hell, I blame myself! After all, I was _right_ _there!_ I could have stopped her if I wanted to. I could have easily reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her back to safety. But I didn't. she pushed past me, and I just let her go. Because, after what she said to me, my world just stopped spinning. I was stunned, shocked, and even paralyzed by what turned out to be the last words she ever spoke to me. It stopped me in my tracks, and my mind just quit functioning properly. After that, everything all happened _so fast…_" Lucius trailed off.

"What did she say to you?" Roxi asked gently.

In a toneless, expressionless voice, Lucius whispered Narcissa's final words to Roxi. "You are not the man I married. I cannot stand what you have become. I never thought I'd say this, but I hate you Lucius Malfoy."

"Wow," Roxi mouthed. Lucius fell onto his knees and started weeping. "L-Lucius, stop it. Please! Don't do that. I-I'm sure Narcissa didn't meant it," she said comfortingly.

"You don't know that!" Lucius spat. "You didn't even know her! How do you know weather or not she meant it?"

"Well, I may not have known her, but I _am _a girl you know. And what I do know is that, when girls get mad, we tend to say things that we don't necessarily mean as a way to vent out our frustrations," Roxi explained. "If your wife was upset with you, she may have just said that as a way to get back at you. How was she supposed to know that that was gonna be the last time she would ever speak to you? If she had, I really don't think she would have said those things to you Lucious."

He shook his head. "Deep down, I just know that she meant it, Roxi. There was partial truth to her words, I know there was. You see, our marriage had been struggling for quite some time. And she was right after all, I _had_ changed. Azkaban really did take its toll on me." Lucious took a deep breath. "Oh, I just wish there was a way to take it all back. If I could do it over, I would have appreciated her more. She did so much for me, sacrificed so much for our family, and I never once thanked her for it. I just wish I could have done more, you know?"

"Yeah, I do know what it's like to regret," Roxi said reflectively. "It makes you feel hollow inside. Empty. Alone. It's like no one else can possibly understand you. And if you're not too careful, it will consume you. And eventually, it will isolate you, Lucius."

"Wow," Lucius said softly. "Now hat's deep."

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one carrying heavy burdens, Mr. Malfoy," she said darkly. "After all, everyone has a story. Everyone. Even me…" she trailed off.

After a long pause, Lucius added, "Yeah, well, I'm sure that your story has a much happier ending than mine does. I only wish my story would hurry up and end already, seeing how as it has no point anymore!"

"Lucius!" she exclaimed. "Tell me you're not thinking about suicide, are you?"

Lucius barked out a short, hollow laugh. "HA! Thinking about it? No, not at all," he said sarcastically. "You silly girl, I've already thought it all out several times… Thought about it... Attempted it... Why else do you supposed I'm down here in the first place? I'll tell you why; because Voldemort is punishing me for trying to kill myself! He is angry because now _he_ wants to be the one to do me in. He wouldn't want to give me the pleasure, or the satisfaction of doing it for him! So instead, he just sticks me down here on 'guard duty' knowing full-well that no harm could possibly befall on me down here. You see, this basement is now just as much my prison as that cell is yours. He'll never let me out of here alive!"

"But Lucius, _why?_" she asked. "Why would you even try to kill yourself like that?"

"Are you kidding me?" He asked incredulously. "I think the more appropriate question here is; why the hell would I _not_ want to kill myself? What sense is there in carrying on, day after day, when I can't even stand to look at myself in a mirror anymore? What's the point in living when my wife is dead and my only son hates me? Don't you see it Roxi, there is no point!"

"Look," she said. "We may not be able to help the fact that your wife is gone, but your son on the other hand, he's still here. He's still alive! Alive and very much in need of a father who is not afraid to love him! Deep down inside, I do not honestly believe, not even for a second, that Draco really hates you Lucius. He's just scared, and confused, and a little hurt right now. Well, a lot hurt actually," she corrected herself. "But we can still change all that."

"How?" Lucius demanded. "How are we going possibly to fix anything when I am forbidden to ever see him again! Don't you get it, Roxi? I am a Death Eater," he yelled.

"So…?"

"So," Lucius repeated. "_I'm_ a Death Eater; _he's_ part of the Order! I work for Voldemort; he lives with the Weasley's. Don't you see _anything_ wrong with that picture? Anything at all?"

Roxi bit her lower lip. She saw no point in arguing with him any further, so she just let him finish his rant. "Draco has made it _quite _clear as to what side he's chosen to be on in this war. Therefore, Voldemort has officially declared Draco as 'The Enemy'. And so long as he is as such, I will never be allowed to see him, or speak to him ever again! In fact, if I ever do happen to run into him, the Dark Lord has specifically instructed me to kill Draco on the spot. And you and I both know that I am incapable of doing that!"

Roxi gave him a moment to catch his breath. "Are you done now?" she asked. He just glared at her. "Would you like to hear _my _idea?" He rolled his eyes and nodded at her curtly. "Good, because surprisingly enough, I actually trust you Lucius Malfoy. I believe every word you've said to me tonight, and I feel for you, I really do. Which is why I have decided that, if I ever do happen to make it out of here alive, I will go back to the Burrow and tell your son everything that you have told me! I will tell him how you were only trying to protect him that night you were beating him, and I'll tell him how much you regret Narcissa's death. I will do my best to try and help Draco understand that it was _not _your fault. And I will explain to him that Voldemort has been forcing you to lie to him all of these years, and that you really did have only his best interests at heart. That much I can promise you, Lucius."

Lucius Malfoy was, of coarse, too prideful to come right out and ask for help directly. So therefore, his initial plan had been to make Roxi feel sorry enough for him to get her to go back and tell Draco everything. He smiled on the inside. His plan had worked out perfectly. "You would do that - for me?" he asked slowly, with just a touch of innocence.

"For you, and for Draco," she added. "Because I believe he deserves to know the truth."

Lucius smiled at her. "Well then, in that case…" He pulled out his wand and began tracing something with it in the dirt at the foot of her cell door. When he was done, he spoke an incantation that Roxi had never heard before, and the shape he had drawn began to glow red. It was then that she noticed he had drawn the shape of a keyhole. Lucius rolled up his sleeve and placed his hand with the Dark Mark over the glowing keyhole. He held it there for a moment and then, the cell door cracked opened. Roxi was free.

"Lucius, what the hell are you doing?" she asked, shocked that he was actually setting her free.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm letting you out!"

"Are you out of your mind?"

Lucius tilted his head thoughtfully. "You know, I very well may be," he chuckled.

Roxi ignored his sarcasm. "Voldemort is going to know that it was you who let me out," she reminded him. "I mean, who else could it be? When he comes down here tomorrow and finds out that I'm gone, he will kill you! I cannot ask you to risk your life just to save mine!"

"That's very noble of you," he said, heavy with sarcasm. He opened the cell door the rest of the way and stood in the entrance. "Now hit me," he commanded her.

"WHAT?"

"You heard me. Hit me," he repeated. "We have to make it look like you overpowered me and took my wand as a means to escape."

"That's not going to work! That's dumb," she shrieked. "And besides, I refuse to take your wand and leave you here with no protection. That's even dumber!"

Lucius cracked a smile. "Are you finished?" he said, mimicking her words from earlier. And just as he had done to her, she glared at him in response. "You silly girl, you won't be leaving me here wandless! Like I would ever give you _my _wand; the very same wand I've had since before Draco was even born. Hell no! However, it just so happens that I have 2 wands down here with me." He pulled another wand out of the pocket of his robes and showed it to her. "You see? And I want you to take _this one _back with you and give it to Draco. This will be proof that you have actually talked with me tonight. With this wand, there will be no way he could possibly believe that you're making any of it up. Give this to him and tell him to keep it."

"And why would he want to keep it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because I know for a fact that he doesn't have one of his own right now."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I also know that Voldemort broke _his_ in half! Now, would you _stop_ asking so many questions and just listen?" Roxi pressed her lips together, trying her best to resist the urge to retaliate with another sarcastic comeback.

Lucius went on. "Now here is what happened, or at least, what Voldemort will think has happened. You didn't believe me when I told you that I was one of the only ones who knew how to open the cell doors. You started teasing me about weather or not Voldemort would trust me with that kind of knowledge. So then, me being as prideful as I am, like an idiot, I decide to show you that I actually _can_ open the door. So you see, you tricked me. Then you burst out of the cell and punch me in the face, and I fall over and you steal my extra wand. Then you render me unconscious and make your escape. _That's_ the story I will tell the Dark Lord when he comes down here tomorrow and finds you missing. Hopefully, by then, you will be back at Arthur's place, safe and sound, and Draco wont have to come here after you. Problem solved!"

"Hmmm…" Roxi thought it actually was a pretty good plan, and she told Lucius that. "However, there is only _one_ problem that I can see."

"Oh really? And what's that?"

"After I 'render you unconscious' and all that, how am I supposed to make my big escape? Didn't you say so yourself that there's no way out of here? And isn't that door up at the top of the steps locked anyways? How the hell am I supposed to go to get out of this basement?"

Lucius smiled. "I was hoping you'd ask that," he said slyly. "You see, if there is one subject I excel more at more so than the Dark Lord, it's mansions. I have, after all, lived in one my entire life. Therefore I have had plenty of time to study them. And one thing I have found is that every mansion, weather it be built by muggles or by wizards, all have one thing in common: secret passageways. Now, I happen to know that _this _mansion in particular was built by muggles because, as I am sure he told you, this was his father's place." Roxi nodded.

"Well," he went on. "Everyone calls this the Riddle House. And after the Dark Lord's 1st fall, I took it upon myself to study this place. Back in those days, I was hoping that if he ever _did_ return to us, it would be here…" He trailed off for a moment, reminiscing. "But why I even wanted him to come back then is beyond me," he chuckled darkly. "Anyways, during that time, I found just one secret passageway in this house that the muggles had built for use as a secret escape route during one of their many wars. It was added on a few years after the house was built. Voldemort would know nothing about this though because he doesn't care for anything about muggles, or their inventions. Not even when it has something to do with this place, which he has chosen to use as his current headquarters."

"What does any of this have to do with the plan?" Roxi demanded.

"I was getting to that," he snapped back. "Because it just so happens that that one and only secret passageway that the muggles used as an escape so long ago runs right through this basement. And that, Roxi, is how you are going to make your big escape tonight!"

"Soo… you want me to run through some kind of secret underground tunnel that was built, without magic, some hundreds of years ago, and probably hasn't ever been used since?" she reiterated. "I don't think so! That has danger written all over it! Do you even know where it comes out at? And, what if it's like, caved in or something and I get trapped down there?"

"Relax," he said. "I've used it a few times now to get out of here and get some fresh air whilst Voldemort was asleep. It's perfectly safe and it comes out just behind the bushes, out past the sidewalk. You will be fine, I promise."

Roxi paused for a moment. Then she shrugged. "Ok," she said enthusiastically.

"Ok?"

"As in, Ok, I believe you." She smiled at him deviously. "Lets do this!" Then she hauled back and punched Lucious Malfoy clean in the jaw.

Even though he _had_ told her to punch him, he was still caught off-guard by the suddenness of it all. He covered his mouth to stifle a cry of pain as he doubled over. He hadn't expected that she could hit so hard.

"Oh my god Lucious, I'm so sorry!" Roxi knelt down beside him. "I tend to forget my own strength sometimes! I hope I didn't hurt you to bad… Are you okay?"

She moved to put a hand on his shoulder but he raised his arm to block her attempt. "Just don't touch me right now, alright?" he said through clenched teeth.

"Geeze, I said I was sorry!"

"No, no you're fine," he reassured her. "I _did_ ask for it after all. I just wasn't expecting - well _that,_" he chuckled, rubbing his jaw. "You pack quite the punch there."

Roxi too chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. Here, let me help you up now." she extended her hand out to him again, and this time, he took it.

He stood up and rubbed his jaw again. "Well there is no doubt now that this won't look believable by morning," he winced.

"Sorry. Again," she said.

"It's alright, really," he said reassuringly. "Now, the passage is right down this way. If you'll follow me." He lit the tip of his wand and then led her down the dark halls of the basement. At the end of the hallway, he knelt down and pulled back a shaggy old rug. Sure enough, there underneath the rug was indeed a trap door. He opened it and Roxi peered down into the dark hole in the ground.

She looked back up at Lucious skeptically. "You really expect me to climb down in _that_?"

"Yes," he replied. "It's the only way you're going to get out of here! Look, it's perfectly safe, I can assure you."

"Oh yeah?" She challenged. "Well, if it's so safe, then let's see _you_ jump down there!"

"Alright then fine, I will." And without another word, he leapt down into the darkness. Seconds later, when he stood up to his full height, only his head was visible, poking up through the surface of the floor. He looked up at her. "There now, you see? It's not even that deep! And you're shorter than I am, so you won't even have to duck down. You'll be fine," he reassured her again as he climbed out of the tunnel. "And now it's your turn," he said.

"Alright," she said uneasily. "Let's do this thing." Roxi sat down and dangled her legs in the opening. Even though she knew now that the ground was only a few feet below her, she squinted in the dark, still straining to see the bottom.

"On three then?" Lucius asked. Roxi nodded, too scared to speak. Lucius chuckled. "The way you're acting, I'd say you were afraid of the dark or something."

"Uh, the dark - not so much," Roxi squeaked. "Now heights on the other hand…"

"I don't believe this," Lucius laughed. "You can speak your mind and stand up to a well-known Death Eater who happens to have a horrible reputation of murdering over 50 people. You can do _that_, but you cannot handle a tiny little 5 foot drop! What is wrong with you?"

"Stop laughing, it's not funny!" she demanded.

"Oh, yes it is," Lucius smirked. "It's _very_ funny! Especially after all the things you said to me earlier. It was like you don't even care who I am! I could have easily killed you, you know. But you just let me have it. You weren't afraid then, but now… HA! And here I was thinking you weren't afraid of anything."

"That's right, laugh it up!" Annoyed, Roxi waited for Lucius' laughter to die down. "Oh, are you done now? Did you get that all out of your system?"

"Oh," Lucius sighed. "Yeah, I'm done now. Sorry about that. Haha!"

Roxi took a deep breath. "Alright, now lets do this for real. Count me out, ok?"

Lucius smiled. "Alright. One… Two… Three!"

Roxi squeezed her eyes shut and jumped. Before she knew it, both feet had touched the ground below. It really wasn't _that _bad, just as Lucius had said. But of coarse, she'd never tell him he was right, not right to his face. She opened her eyes and looked back up at him. He was laughing at her again, so she reached up and punched him in the leg.

"OW! What was that for?" he bellowed.

"I told you to stop laughing at me, didn't I?" She pulled out the want that Lucius had given her, to give to Draco, and lit the tip of. "Now, where do I go from here?"

"Straight," he answered simply. "It's a pretty direct route. There are no turns or anything really. It was built by the old muggles, remember? It's not that complicated."

Roxi nodded. "Right. Well, I guess I had better be going now then, before we get caught. I haven't the faintest idea of what time it is right now. I only know that it's late. Thank you again for everything you've done for me tonight, Mr. Malfoy."

"It's Lucius," he corrected, "and you're welcome. But really I should be the one thanking you, Roxi. You listened to me when nobody else would."

"It was my pleasure, Lucious." she smiled. "I just can't wait to get back and tell everything to Draco. Well, almost everything. Don't worry, I wont tell him about Severus."

"Good," Lucius replied. "But good luck getting him to believe you, or even listen to you for that matter. Draco can be very stubborn when he wants to be. He's a lot like his mother in that aspect. Be careful Roxi."

"You too, Lucius, and good luck." Then Roxi ducked into the tunnel and began making her way to the surface. After she was gone, Lucius closed the trap door and covered it back up with the old rug. And, just as Lucius had said it would, the tunnel came out behind the bushes in the front yard. She crawled out of it and began brushing herself off.

"Roxi?" Came a sweetly familiar voice. "Is that you?"

She turned around so quickly that she nearly lost her balance and fell over. "Draco? I don't believe it, its really you! You came back for me!" She said admirably, unable to believe that he was actually _there_. When she saw the funny look he was giving her though, she quickly changed her tone to a more disapproving one and restated, "Oh my God Draco, I can not believe that you came back here just for me! What the hell were you thinking?"

"What the hell was I thinking?" he repeated. "Well, hmmm… let's see. I was thinking _I_ was the only one who was able to save you crazy ass, that's what I was thinking!"

"Well, does it _look _like I need saving?" she asked rhetorically. "In case you haven't noticed, I made it out of there just fine, all on my own."

"Oh, believe me, I've noticed!" he said. "And I must say that I am impressed. How did you do it?"

The realization that she had just escaped from the most powerful wizard of all time's evil lair, unharmed, was beginning to sink in. And, to top it all of, Draco Malfoy, the cutest guy she had ever met, had even come here to risk his life to save her. And _he _was impressed by her! Roxi was suddenly so overwhelmed with joy she became very giddy. She began to laugh uncontrollably. However, it was only a matter of seconds before she got her emotions back under control. Once again, Draco was giving her that weird, confusingly stern look. She straightened up and pulled herself together in an instant.

"Are you done now?" he asked her. She nodded sheepishly. "Good, because your insanity is going to get us both caught again if you don't shut up!"

"Wow! Somebody's grouchy tonight," Roxi observed sarcastically.

"No, I'm not being grouchy," he corrected. "I'm just trying not to get us both killed! They could easily hear us you know! Trust me, there are guards all over this place," he said darkly. "Now follow me. I know the safest way out of here. We need to get back before Molly and Arthur notice I'm gone."

"Why's that?" Roxi whispered.

"Because I was ordered specifically _not _to come here, and I deliberately disobeyed," he explained. "I wasn't about to just sit up in my room and do _nothing! _Somebody had to act, and fast, and they weren't coming up with anything better. So I left."

Roxi's mind was going about a mile a minute. _Oh my gosh,' _she thought. _'He's so cute! I can't believe this! He actually snuck out to come save me!' _Roxi sighed to herself, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Now, let's get out of her, shall we?" Then Draco silently lead Roxi away from the Riddle House and back to the Burrow…


	11. Safe Again

**Safe Again **

As soon as Draco and Roxi apparated back onto the Weasley's front lawn, they were immediately bombarded by people.

Molly came running up to Draco and threw her arms him, pulling him into one of her motherly hugs. "Oh my goodness, Draco Malfoy," she exclaimed. "Do you have _any _idea how worried sick I've been about you?"

Draco grunted, struggling to pry himself from her grasp. "Unhand me woman," he commanded. "You're smothering me! I _need _my personal space, Molly; we've been through this already! Now let me go!" He finally pulled out of her grasp. Molly then moved on to Roxi.

"And Roxi, I'm so glad you're safe!" Molly hugged Roxi as well, and Roxi awkwardly hugged her back.

"Umm, thank you?" she replied, a little creped out by Molly's behavior. She barley knew this woman, and here she was hugging her.

"Now Roxi, tell us" Molly went on. "What were you doing behind that bush earlier?"

There it was; the question she did not want to confess the answer to. Now everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to respond. She stared down at the ground, unable to look any of them in the eye as she said, "I'm so sorry that I put all of you at risk tonight. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I just let my curiosity get the best of me. It was foolish of me to even come out here. Draco _did_ warn me after all, but I ignored him and did it anyway. I'm sorry. I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about, that's all."

"And did you?" Arthur asked.

"Oh yes," she exclaimed. "I think I've see enough of Voldemort to last me a lifetime!" At this, everyone started laughing.

Then it was McGonagall's turn to be serious again. "Now, as for you Draco. We cannot ignore the fact that you left here after I specifically instructed you to stay put. You could have been caught yourself, and then what would have happened? We already have enough on our hands as it is without having to worry about arranging rescue missions. Why did you do it?"

"Why does it matter?" he growled. "I brought her back, didn't I?"

"It matters because you disobeyed orders."

"I don't take orders from you," he growled. "I'm not in the stupid Order of the Phoenix, remember? I'm not under your command Professor, so you don't control me. No one does!"

"All that is understood, Draco" she replied calmly. "However, you do reside in our headquarters. Therefore, in times of crisis, you are expected to act in such a way that helps things to run smoothly. When we form a plan here, _everyone_ is expected to do their part. You're part tonight just so happened to be to stay put, and you didn't. As a result of that, not only were we stuck worrying about how we were going to get Roxi back, we now had to wonder where you took off to, and hope that you made it back safely. Otherwise, we'd be sitting here right now, forming yet another plan to come and save you as well. You messed up the order of things tonight and it was all total chaos here!"

Draco glared at her. He hated being called out like this in from of everyone else. In his eyes, he had nothing wrong. He successfully accomplished what he'd set out to do. He brought Roxi back. And yet, everyone was still freaking out. "Again, I brought her back, didn't I?"

"Yes," McGonagall answered. "Yes you did. And we are grateful to you for doing that."

"So then what's the big deal?" he raised his voice at her.

"The big deal," Molly answered, "and I still can't believe I'm saying this; is that we were worried about you Draco. You're a part of this family now, weather you like it or not, and we care about your safety."

"And we've been over the rules with you a thousand times now, Draco" Arthur said. "You knew better than to take off without telling anyone."

"Well I'm not going to apologize, if that's what you want," Draco spat. "Because I don't see where I did anything wrong. Sure I left without telling anyone, but I wasn't about to just sit up in my room like a good little boy and do nothing while Voldemort could have been tormenting her for every second wasted! I didn't see any of _you_ coming up with a better plan, so I took it upon myself and left. After all, it is _me_ he wants! Voldemort specifically stated that if _I _didn't go there, he wasn't about to let her go. So what else was I supposed to do?"

There was a slight pause in which the only thing that could be heard was Draco's heavy breathing. "Look," Minerva spoke at last. "I understand that you were only trying to help. But Draco, what you need to understand is that Voldemort will do whatever it takes to get you back in his clutches. And, if he knows that he can get you riled up simply by taking someone captive, then that's what he will continue do to. So you mustn't allow him to get under your skin like that. Don't you understand that if he gets his hands on you again, he _will_ kill you?"

"I know he will," Draco answered softly.

"So then, why would you go there and risk being killed like that?" she demanded. "Especially when you just met Roxi tonight. You don't even know the first thing about her, yet you willingly put her life in front of your own? Why?"

"I don't know why!" he confessed. "I just felt obligated to do so, I guess. Like it was my fault she got caught in the first place."

"No, it was Roxi's own fault that she got caught," McGonagall reminded him.

"Yeah, I know that, but still… If I would have done nothing, and he were to have killed her, her blood would be on my hands and I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's death!" Draco broke down and started crying as he remembered the way his mother had run out in front of him to save him. "Enough people have already died because of me," he sobbed.

Once again, Molly went up to Draco and put her arms around him. Only this time, he hugged her back and cried on her shoulder. "There, there, dear. It's ok," she said reassuringly. "No one else is going die Draco. Everyone is safe now. You brought her home, and that's the important thing. Come on now, lets go inside and get some rest. It's late and it has been a long night. For all of us." With that, Molly lead Draco back inside and everyone else followed her…

**~*~ **

It was well after noon the next day before anyone in the Weasley home stirred again. Even Molly, who was usually up with the sun, getting breakfast put on the table, had slept in. After the events of last night had been settled, Bill and Fleur went back to their cottage, Minerva returned to Hogwarts, and Charlie left to go to work, having gotten no sleep at all. The only people left in the house now were Molly, Arthur, Fred, George, Remus, Tonks, Roxi and Draco. They were all gathered at the kitchen table, eating lunch in silence, for none of them were ready to even discuss the events of the night before. It truly had been a _very _long night for all of them, therefore all of their minds were off somewhere else…

In just one night alone, the Order had held one of its most stressful meetings yet. Now Tonks and Lupin couldn't stop thinking about how everyone kept arguing amongst themselves. The Weasley's had discovered, and witnessed first-hand, that one of their own was a Death Eater now. The four of them were all thinking about Percy and wondering how Ginny was going to react when she heard the news. Roxi had met, and been captured, by _the _Lord Voldemort, and she'd held a very emotional conversation with Draco's father, _the Lucius Malfoy_. She was now worrying about how she was going to break everything she had learned to Draco. And Draco himself had gone out and risked his life to try and save someone whom he barley knew, but couldn't stop thinking about. Then he'd come back with her and practically had an emotional breakdown, right there in front of God and everyone. He was too ashamed of his behavior from last night to say anything to anyone. He couldn't stop thinking about how childish he had acted. He knew better than to let his emotions get the best of him like that, but he just couldn't help it.

Suddenly, the door clicked unlocked, and Ginny Weasley came rushing into the kitchen. She threw her bags down and ran up to her mother, hugging her tightly. "Oh momma, I just heard! Are you and dad ok?"

"We will be Gin," she replied softly, running her fingers through her daughters long red hair. "Just give it some time."

"Percy's a good for nothing git anyways," Ginny said angrily, pulling herself away from her mother. "He always has been!"

"Here, here!" replied Fred, raising his glass to his little sister.

Molly shook her head at Ginny. "You are so much like your brothers," she mused.

Ginny smiled and pulled a chair up to the table, taking her place right between Fred and George. It was then that she noticed whom she was sitting across from. Ginny scrutinized Draco from across the table, and he glared back at her as if to say, what are you looking at? She leaned over and whispered into Fred's ear, "Hey, what's the ferret doing here?"

Fred exploded with laughter, causing everyone at the table to jump. He pounded his fist on the table. "Haven't you heard little sis?" he said aloud. "He's like part of the family now!" George joined in on his brothers mirth, howling right along with him, once he realized what Fred was laughing about.

"Fred and George Weasley, that's enough!" Molly barked, silencing the twins at once. "We are at the dinner table, for Merlin's sake! Where the hell are your manners?"

"I'm sorry mum," said Fred. "But they must have moved out when _he_ moved in!" Again, both of the twins were roaring with laughter. Ginny joined in with them.

"I think that it's time for the two of you to leave. NOW!" Arthur yelled over top of them. Fred and George looked at their dad incredulously. "That's right, you heard me. Leave!"

"You're not seriously kicking us out right now," George responded.

"Oh yes I am!"

"But dad," Fred began.

"Don't you _but dad _me, Frederick!" Arthur growled. "Your mother and I have heard enough of your rude comments in the past 24 hours as it is. You two are both successful business men now and I think its high time you got back to work anyhow. So just go!" The Weasley twins both just sat there, giving their father incredulous looks.

"It's alright Arthur," Draco said. "They don't have to leave. I will. I was done eating anyways. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room." Then he got up from the table and left.

Molly glared at her sons. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves!"

"Why is he even here mum?" Ginny asked.

"Minerva didn't tell you?" Arthur asked. Ginny shook her head no.

"Draco is here because he has no place else to go," Molly stated. "End of discussion."

Roxi put set her fork down on her plate with a clang. "Well I'm full now," she said. "Thanks for lunch Molly, it was delicious. But I think I'm gonna go lay back down now for a bit, if that's alright."

Molly nodded. "It's fine, Roxi," she said curtly. "Just make yourself at home then."

Then Roxi left the kitchen, leaving the Weasleys to quarrel amongst themselves. But instead of going back up to the room she had slept in last night, as she had said she was doing, she went straight to Draco's room and knocked on his door.

"Come in," Draco answered in annoyance. Roxi came in and closed the door behind her. "Oh, it's you" he exclaimed, trying his best to hide his delight from her. He was, for some unknown reason, very happy to see her.

"Well of coarse it's me," she laughed. "Who else were you expecting?"

Draco chuckled darkly. "You really want me to answer that?"

"Um, no," she replied. "No, I guess not." She too chuckled, then she changed the subject. "So, do the twins always treat you like that?"

"Yeah, they do," Draco confirmed. "But that's just Fred and George for ya."

"Well, that's the second time I've seen them talk to you like that," she pointed out. "Why do you put up with it?"

"Because it's no more than I deserve," he answered. "We all went to school together and, back in those days, I was somewhat of a bully. I was horrible, to all of them. It's a pretty well-known fact around here that the Weasley and the Malfoy families hate each other. Apparently we've had this family rivalry thing going on for several generations now."

"Family rivalry? Are you serious?" Draco nodded. "Weird."

"I'm sorry, but _how_ is that weird?"

"Because, where I'm from, family rivalries are like, something you'd see in a movie," she laughed. "No one holds a grudge for _that _long!"

"Yeah, well you're not in America now, Roxi."

"And, I'm sorry," she laughed, "but I just can't see _you _acting like a bully!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped.

"Well you're just so… so," she searched for the right words. "So quiet, and sensitive, and collected now. It's just hard to picture you pushing people around."

"Sensitive?" Draco looked rather disgusted by the concept. "I knew I should have controlled myself better last night. What you seen back then was _not _how I normally behave. It's not right for a man to cry in public. I was way out of line."

"WHAT?" she boomed. "You were out of line? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard! Draco, you were upset. It's only natural for you to cry! I mean, my god, everyone cries once in a while! It's ok, really! You _are_ allowed to have emotions, you know. You're only human!"

"Yeah, well if my father had seen me do that…" Draco shuddered. "I was always taught to _never _let anyone see your emotions. Not ever. Emotions make you weak," he said darkly.

"No, emotions make you more than just a shell," she corrected. "They give you character and personality. And keeping everything bottled up inside of you is dangerous, Draco. You can only handle so much before it becomes _too_ much. If you don't let it all out once in a while, you're going to go crazy and have an emotional meltdown! You're not all alone anymore, so stop acting like it!"

Draco was staring at Roxi, wide eyed in disbelief. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. Those big blue eyes were enough to make her melt. And all at once, her annoyance with Draco evaporated and Roxi apologized for the way she had spoke to him.

"It's ok," he said. "You're probably right. Last night, when I broke down like that, I was thinking of my mother again, and how she died to save me. It was all just too much for me to handle."

"Well you know what?" she said enthusiastically. "I happen to know, for a fact, that your father, Mr. High-and-Mighty Lucious Malfoy himself, cries too! So you're not the only one."

"What? How would you know that?"

"Well, because he was crying last night over the same thing you were; Narcissa's death. I talked to him all night long last night," she confessed. "And if it weren't for him, I would not have escaped the way I did. Your father actually helped me!"

"How?" Draco demanded.

"He set me free, then showed me where there was a trap door I could use to escape."

"Whatever," he disagreed. "That doesn't even sound like something my father would do!"

"Well he did," she shot back. "And I can prove it." She reached into her robes and pulled out the old wand that Lucious had given her to give to Draco. "He gave me _this _to use in order to find my way out through the dark. Here, he even said that you could keep it." She extended the wand out to Draco, but he made no move to take it from her. Instead, he just sat there on the edge of his bed, gaping at it in shock. "Go on, take it," she urged him.

Draco slowly, mechanically reached out and took hold of the wand with both hands. He held it delicately, examining it with intensity. "Where did you get this?" he whispered.

"Did you not just hear a word I said?" she said, exasperatedly. "_Your father _gave me that want to use as a light to find my way out of the tunnel," she repeated, more slowly than the last time. "You know, the tunnel that I was telling you about that he showed to me, to use as a means to escape from Voldemort's lair."

But Draco was still only half-listening to her. His mind was now transfixed on the wand in between his fingers. "I just can't believe I'm actually holding this right now," he breathed.

"Well I'm glad you apparently like it so much," Roxi said, "because it's yours now. Your father told me to tell you to keep it, because he knows that Voldemort broke yours in half."

"My father gave you this?" he said, his voice cracking.

"Haven't you been listening a damn thing I've said?" she yelled. "How many times are you going to make me repeat myself?"

Draco looked from the wand, to Roxi, then back at the wand, still in apparent shock. "You talked to my father last night," Draco said. It wasn't a question this time, it was a statement. "He really did help you escape."

Roxi nodded, thankful that they were finally on the same page again. "Yes Draco."

Draco eyes began to tear up. "And he said I could keep it?" he asked in a higher-than-normal pitched voice. When Roxi nodded for the second time, Draco burst into tears.

"Oh my god," Roxi exclaimed. "Draco, what's wrong with you?"

"Do you have any idea what this is?" he cried.

"I don't know," Roxi shrugged, "a wand? Your father just gave it to me, so I assumed it was just an extra wand he had laying about."

"No wizard, especially not one in Voldemort's lair, just happens to have an extra wand laying about Roxi," Draco exclaimed. "No, it was no coincidence that my father had this wand, I can assure you. I'll even bet he _told_ you to use this as proof that he actually helped you out last night when he gave it to you, didn't he?"

Roxi stared at Draco in bewilderment. "How could you possibly know that?"

Draco wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. "Because _this," _he held up the wand. "This was my mother's wand."

Roxi was stunned. She didn't know what to say. What _could_ she say to something like that? She had to sit down, her legs wouldn't hold her steady for too much longer. She slowly walked over and sat down next to Draco on the side of the bed. He let her sit there without saying a word. Both of them were now staring at the wand in the palms of Draco's hands.

Draco's breathing was heavy. He gulped, swallowing past the lump in his throat, to find words to speak again. "What else did my father say to you?" he choked out.

Roxi chuckled to herself as Lucius' last words to her came back to the surface of her brain; _good luck getting Draco to believe you, or even listen to you for that matter. He can be very stubborn when he wants to be, believe me. _Well, so far, it hadn't been that hard at all to get Draco's attention. But, now that she had it, she wasn't sure where to begin. She smiled gently at Draco and shook her head. "Where do you want me to start?" she asked.

"Start at the beginning," he instructed her. "I want to know everything!"

She nodded. "Ok then…" And then Roxi proceeded to tell Draco everything that had transpired between her and Lucious Malfoy the night before. Just as she had promised him, Roxi told Draco all about how Lucious was only trying to protect him the night that Voldemort mad him torture him. She explained Lucius' stance on the poison incident, how he intentionally only gave Draco a third of the dose, instead of the whole thing. She told Draco that Lucius had no idea what he was doing when he broke his leg, and that Voldemort had invented that spell. Then she went on to tell Draco about how Voldemort had intentionally made it so that Lucius and Narcissa _had_ to lie to Draco all of his life. She told him it was because Voldemort had planned to use him as a spy to get information about what his parents were up to. She explained that Lucius never wanted to lie to him, and how he had hated every minute of it. She saved the hardest part of the conversation for last; Narcissa's death. This was very painful for her to tell because kind of she was stuck in the middle, therefore she had witnessed first-hand how each of these men had been effected by the death of his wife/mother. It had been hard enough for her to sit and listen to Lucius talk about his wife last night. But now, that seemed like _nothing_ compared to having to reiterate it all to his son today. She began by telling Draco how Lucius had left Narcissa that night. Then she moved on to when Narcissa had come down to the basement to seen what was going on. During this part, Draco nodded in agreement several times, verifying that her story matched with what he could remember from that night. Finally, she told Draco what Narcissa's last words to Lucius had been, and how much pain they had caused him. She did her best to describe Lucius' feelings of emptiness and despair in detail, as he had done the night before. All the while, Draco just sat there, staring down at his hands, which were clenched into fists on his lap.

"You know, your father loved you mother very much," she stated. "He may not be willing to admit it, in those exact words, but I can tell that he does, just by the way he talks about her. And let me tell you, her death has not been easy for him to process. Not easy at all! I'll bet that he's in just as much pain as you are, Draco, if not more. He even blames himself for all of it. Which is funny, because I know for a fact that you're doing the same thing; blaming yourself for your mother's death. It is, of coarse, neither one of you's fault though, I hope you know/ The two of you are _so _muchalike in your thought processes, it's uncanny!" she exclaimed. Draco didn't respond. He still just sat there, still as a statue, hardly breathing.

"You know," Roxi continued. "After your mother died, Lucius told me that he almost killed himself. He's tried offing himself several times now apparently, but Voldemort won't allow it. According to him, that's why he's stuck down in the basement on guard duty right now; because he tried committing suicide again. Lucius told me that he doesn't see any point to his life anymore, now that Narcissa's not in it and you have removed yourself from it. He says that he just wants his life to be over already." Tears were now silently flowing down Draco's cheeks. His breathing became heavier, coming out in short gasps.

"You know, with everything your father has done, both to you and for you, he has done so with only your best interests at heart, Draco" she said gently. "Your father loves you. He loves you _so_ _much_ it's killing him, because he knows that he can never have a relationship with you. Not now, because you're both on opposite sides of this war. And should the two of you ever cross paths again, Voldemort has instructed Lucius to kill you on the spot. Of coarse, Lucius has assured me that he is incapable of killing you, so no worries there. However, if he lets you live, then Voldemort will kill him. But he says that you hate him anyways and want nothing more to do with him. He understands that though and thinks you have every right to hate him. He hates himself even! He says he can't even stand to look a mirror anymore, because he's filled with so much regret. And he absolutely detests Voldemort now. He said that becoming a Death Eater, and taking on the Dark Mark, was the biggest mistake of his entire life. Voldemort has taken everything from your father. You, his wife, his money, his home, his entire life pretty much. And he told me that he can't wait for the day that Voldemort dies, because on that day, he will finally be free. That's even if he lives that long…

"He is proud of you, you know" she said. "Very proud. He's so happy that you were smart enough to see straight through Voldemort's crap, and that you didn't allow him to brainwash you with all of his lies. He said that he wishes he would have been as smart as you are when he was younger. Trust me Draco, if your father could do it all over, knowing what he does now, I'll bet that there are a lot of things that would be done differently. Lucius Malfoy has changed. He's not the cold, hard, bitter, emotionless man that he once was. He has humbled himself somehow and is trying to make up for all of his mistakes because he knows now that his days are numbered." She shook her head as she finished her tale. "I just felt _so bad _for him!"

For the longest time, the only sound in the room was that of Draco's sobbing. He laid back on the bed and turned his back to Roxi, curling himself into a ball and crying to himself. After several minutes of silence, Roxi put a hand on Draco's shoulder to try and comfort him, but he shrugged it away. "Leave," he ordered in a small voice.

"What?"

"I want you to leave," he answered weakly. "Now."

"Why?" Roxi demanded. "What did _I _do?"

"You have done nothing," he answered feebly. "I just need to be alone for a while."

"Draco, this is a lot to process, I know. And you should not be trying to handle it all on your own," she said, clearly concerned for his mental well-being. "I want to help you."

"Please, just go" he pleaded in between sobs.

"No," she answered stubbornly. "I'm not leaving you. Not like this. I am not about to allow you to go back into your shell and hide. You need to deal with this and learn how to handle your emotions, so that their not pouring out of you _all _the time!"

"There is nothing you can do to make the pain go away, so why don't you just leave!"

"Draco, we can talk this out. I wanna help you work through it," she said genuinely.

"WHY?" he yelled.

"Because I'm the only one who can," she said. "You and I are the only ones who know about all this, aside from Lucius, so who else are you gonna talk about it with?"

"No one!"

"And that's exactly my point," she stated. "Talking about it _will _help you work through it all, I promise." He was silent, trying his best now to ignore her. "Draco, please," she begged. "Please talk to me!"

After a moment of due consideration, Draco realized that she was not about to go anywhere, no matter how hard he tried to ignore her. So, he decided to try and pacify with enough conversation to get her to leave. "What's there to talk about?" he asked at last. "Haven't you pretty much said it all already?"

Roxi sighed in relief, glad that he was finally talking to her in a normal tone. "Well yeah, but now I wanna know what you're thinking. I mean, how do you feel about all this?"

Draco scoffed. "Well, how would _you_ feel if you just learned that you were wrong about _everything?_ I hate being wrong, I hate it!"

Roxi shook her head. "I don't get it… What were you wrong about?"

"EVERYTHING!" he shouted. "I always thought my father hated me! The way he always acted, you'd think that he wished I had never been born. But now you tell me that it was only because he was trying to shield me from Voldemort! And _that night, _the night he tortured me, I thought he _wanted_ to do those things to me, thought he was _enjoying_ it! But now I find out that he was only _pretending_ in order to further protect me from Voldemort!" Draco too shook his head. "Nothing I new to be true is right anymore, Roxi, and I just don't know how to handle all of it right now."

After a brief pause, Roxi asked, "do you forgive him?"

"I don't know," he answered softly. "I _want_ to. I really, really want to. But I just don't know… I don't think I can though, after so much bad has happened."

"So you believe me?"

"How could I _not _believe it?" he asked rhetorically. "There were parts of that story that you nailed to a tee, parts that I never even told you. How else could you have known any of that unless you really did talk to my father last night? And how else could have gotten ahold of my mother's wand? Of coarse I believe you!"

"I was so afraid you wouldn't," she admitted. "I thought that you were gonna wig out on me for sure," she laughed.

Draco cracked a smile. "Be careful, I just may yet," he said jokingly. "You see, a part of me is so extremely happy to know that he really does love me. I'm ecstatic, really I am." Then he sighed. "But then again, there is this other part that wishes it wasn't true. A part that wants to go on believing that he is evil, that he has just manipulated you into believing some sappy story so that you'd feel sorry for him. Because life would be so much easier if he were evil. Then nothing would have to change, and I could just go on hating him…"

"You don't hate your father, Draco" Roxi stated. "You never did."

"How would you know that?" he said, shooting her a look.

'Because you're really not all that difficult to read," she answered truthfully.

"So what, you've been messing around in my head then?"

"No, not at all! I would _never_ invade your privacy like that, never!" she insisted.

"Good," he said shortly. "You had better never neither."

"You know, you really should consider taking some Occlumency lessons, Draco" she said. "It might help."

"I would," he told her. "But I haven't got a teacher right now. Severus was going to teach me some of it behind Voldemort's back in my 6th year of school, but we never got around to it. I was too busy trying to prove myself. Because, for some stupid reason, I thought back then that if I could just gain favor from the Dark Lord, maybe my father would love me more. Maybe then he would be proud of me… It's stupid, hu?"

"No, Draco, I don't think that's stupid at all," she answered. "You just wanted to be accepted. How is that stupid?"

"Because I wanted it _so much, _I was willing to make myself into Voldemort's slave in order to obtain it" he growled. "I was a pretty messed up kid, let me tell you."

Roxi smiled. "Well it looks like you still turned out alright to me."

Draco chuckled darkly at her last statement. "You have no idea what you're talking about. You don't know the first thing about me."

"On the contrary, I know lots of things about you Draco Malfoy," she said brightly. "And I find you to be quite fascinating. I can't wait to get to know you more."

Draco gave her a weird look. "Now you see, I don't know weather I should feel flattered by that, or completely freaked or, or both even."

She laughed. "It's ok, I'm not trying to be weird or anything like that. If I freak you out, then I apologize. I just wanna get to know you better, that's all."

Draco grinned at her. He couldn't deny that he didn't want the exact same thing, because he did. She was incredibly easy to talk to and kinda fun to be around. He shrugged, "I'll keep you around for a while then, I guess."

In her head, Roxi screamed with glee. She took a deep breath, trying her hardest to contain her excitement. "Friends then?" she asked, extending a hand out to him.

He took her hand and shook it. "Friends," he agreed.

They pulled apart quickly and Roxi stood up from the bed. "Well, I reckon I'd better get going. I'll leave you alone for a while now."

"Oh, so your finally leaving, hu?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yep! Aren't you happy?"

He tilted his head to one side. "Maybe… But what if I don't _want_ you to leave now?"

_Breathe Roxi, breathe, _she mentally reminded herself. "I guess that's just too bad then, Mr. Malfoy. I have other things to do today. I'm a very busy woman you know."

"Fine, just go then," he said jokingly. "I was just kidding anyways," he lied. "But Roxi, in all seriousness, thank you. For talking to me, and telling me all that. I really do appreciate it."

She shrugged. "What are friends for?" she asked. She flashed one last smiled at him before skipping out the door.

Draco smiled to himself too after she had gone. He felt happier now. Happier than he had been in a long time. _Who knows, _he thought to himself. _Maybe living here wont be so bad after all. _He sighed in relief. Life was good, and for the moment, they were all safe again…


	12. Surrender & Remorse

~ **Surrender and Remorse **

The morning after Roxi's capture, and escape, from the Riddle House turned out to be quite different for Lucius Malfoy. Just as he had planned, he told Voldemort the story he'd invented on how Roxi had tricked him into letting her out, then overpowered him, and took Narcissa's wand from him before knocking him unconscious. And, to Lucius' delight, the Dark Lord actually bought it! However, Lucius' moment of victory was cut short, because it was then that the punishment began. _Punish first, ask questions later;_ that was Voldemort's philosophy. He put him under the CruciatusCursefor so long, Lucius was sure he was going to go mad by the end of it. But Voldemort was no fool. He knew how much each and every one of his Death Eaters could handle before they reached their breaking point. It just so happened that Lucius Malfoy had a higher tolerance of pain then some of the others, which was one quality about him that the Dark Lord actually admired. However, due to this fact, Lucius' sessions of torture tended to last a lot longer that any of the other Death Eater's did. Voldemort lifted the torture curse just in time to spare Lucius his sanity. To him, it had only lasted about 12 minutes or so, but to Lucius, it had seemed to drag on for hours…

"Now get up Lucius," Voldemort ordered, lifting the curse. But Lucius just laid there, clearly in too much pain to move. Neverhad he had to endure Voldemort's torture curse for _so_ _long_. The longest, before now, that he had ever had to suffer through something like that was only 5 minutes or so. That was on the night Narcissa had died, the night that he had been forced to torment Draco. And normally, he could handle it; but this, is was awful. He was in more pain now that he'd even thought possible. This was far worse than anything he could have ever imagined.

"Perhaps, you didn't hear me? I said, _get up!" _The Dark Lord aimed his wand at Lucius again, this time putting him under the Imperious Curse, forcing him onto his feet. Lucius groaned in protest but was not strong enough to ward off the curse. Voldemort made Lucius stand straight up before lifting the curse.

Once Lucius was free of the Imperious Curse, he wobbled back and forth for a moment, dizzy from all the pain he was in. His legs were like jelly, and were unable to hold him for too long. He collapsed and landed face-first on the hard stone floor of the basement, giving himself a nosebleed. Voldemort laughed aloud at Lucius' struggle to remain standing for more than two seconds. Lucius made no move to get back up, and Voldemort didn't push the issue any farther. Instead, Lucius rolled over onto his side and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his dirty robe, wincing in pain as he did so.

"What's the matter, Lucius, does it hurt?" he asked mockingly. He looked down at Lucius Malfoy and shook his head. "You're weakness in pathetic! If I knew it would not please you so, I would kill you right here, right now, you know!" Voldemort said honestly.

The Dark Lord desperately wanted to kill Lucius Malfoy for all of his excessive failures, but he would not do it, simply because he knew how much Lucius craved for death to come for him. He had seen this desire several times, while fishing through all of Lucius' pathetic thoughts. But since killing him would technically be giving Lucius what he wanted, the Dark Lord would never do it. He absolutely refused to reward somebody for any unforgivable, inexcusable behavior. That is, if one would consider being murdered as a _reward… _

"Good," Voldemort continued. "I'm glad it hurts! But, you should feel lucky, Lucius. Lucky that I don't just carry on and give you what you _really _deserve for you continuing failures! By all means, 10 minutes is not nearly long enough! I ought to have kept on until you lost your mind. But where would be the fun in that?" he asked rhetorically. "It's not torture if the person is unaware of what's even going on! Nor would it be punishment, not for you anyways. Driving _you _insane would only be putting you out of your misery, wouldn't it Lucius, my friend?"

Although Lucius didn't answer him, he knew already that he was right. Voldemort could see that, on the inside, Lucius had been begging for him to continue. Lucius _wanted_ to be able to forget everything because he didn't want to be alive any longer. Which Voldemort could not understand why. So what if Narcissa was dead? People die all the time! Lucius just needs to get over in and move on already, that was Voldemort's thought anyway. But then again, Voldemort did not understand the concept of being in love with someone, then having them ripped away from you.

"Well, I do think you've suffered enough for one day," said the Dark Lord. "However, we are by no means finished here, Lucius. I will continue doing this to you everyday until I feel I have gotten my point across, do you understand me?"

Lucius was horrified at the thought of having to go through this all over again tomorrow. It was far too much pain than even he could handle. "My Lord, please, not that again," he begged. "I think you've made your point quite clear enough already."

"Obviously not!" Voldemort spat. "Otherwise, if I had, you would not keep failing at every single task that I entrust you with! You are a constant screw-up and it is high time I treated you as such! I've been trying to cut you some slack here lately, Lucious, but now those days are done!"

"But _look _at me," he pleaded. "I can hardly move as it is!"

"Well that's kind of the point, Lucius," he stated very matter-of-factly. "You see, if you are suffering now, then maybe, _just_ _maybe_, that means you're finally beginning to learn your lesson! Now, as much as it pleases me to watch you, the High-and-Mighty Mr. Proud Lucius Malfoy, _beg;_ I have other, more important matters to attend to today. So I shall see you at this same time tomorrow, Lucius." And, with that, Voldemort turned to leave. However, upon reaching the staircase, he stopped and slowly turned around.

"Oh, heavens me," he exclaimed. "There is something I nearly forgot to do!" He stalked back over to where Lucius was laying and towered over him. Lucius flinched, afraid that he was about to get kicked in the side. But Voldemort did not kick Lucius however. What he did next was _far_ worse.

The Dark Lord menacingly held out his hand and spoke the three words Lucius had been dreading to hear for quite some time now. "Your wand, Lucius."

Lucius Malfoy lost his nerve. "N-no! Please, sir - please, a-a-anything but that," Lucius stammered, panicking.

"You should've known this day would come, Lucius. You have failed me for the last time. Now present me your wand!"

Lucius was shaking his head frantically. "My Lord, please! Surely the is another alternative," he begged. _Please! _Not this, not this! _Anything_ but this. I'll do anything!"

"This is _not _a request," Voldemort said, raising his voice, "it is an order! Now surrender your wand to me at once, Lucius Malfoy, or I shall take it by force!" When Lucius still made no move to obey, Voldemort took his own wand out and pointed it at him. "Perhaps another dose if pain is in order right now, instead of waiting until tomorrow."

"NO!" Lucius yelped, and quickly sat up to remove his wand from within his pocket. He reluctantly bowed down on one knee, as was custom among the Death Eaters when surrendering their wands to their master. Lucius placed his wand in the palms of his hands and raised it up over his head, presenting it to the Dark Lord. Voldemort's icy fingers reached down and plucked Lucius' wand from his open hands. And once the wand was out of his possession, Lucius fell onto all fours and began to sob. He knew what was coming next and he didn't care to watch as his precious wand was snapped in two.

However, when nothing else happened, Lucius looked back up at Voldemort, who said to him, "do not fret Lucius. I am not going to snap it in half. Not yet anyways, but only because I know how much _this_ wand means to you. I shall at least give you the chance to earn it back first."

"Oh, thank you," Lucius replied gratefully, bowing before his master. "Thank you, my Lord. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that means-"

"-However," Voldemort said, cutting Lucius off in mid-sentence. "Should you continue to fail me again, I can assure you that I will not just break this wand in half. If you screw up one more time, I shall tear this thing into to million tiny pieces and then burn what's left! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes master, crystal clear" he answered, bowing again.

Voldemort flashed his wicked smile down at Lucius. "Good," he sneered. "I shall see you tomorrow." This time, he left for good, taking Lucius wand along with him…

After Voldemort was gone, Lucius collapsed in pain and despair. Never, in all of his life, had things seemed so hopeless. He felt naked without his wand in his pocket. Defenseless. Helpless. Useless. The list went on and on. Lucius laid on the on the cement floor, where Voldemort had left him for hours, wallowing in self-pity. He was still in far too much pain to even try to move. Once the pain finally began to subside and he was able to move again, he propped himself up and leaned against the cold bars of the cell that Roxi had been kept in last night, and smiled to himself. Despite to awful punishment he had been gives as a result, every single part of his plan had worked out perfectly. Well, almost every part. He hadn't figured on loosing his wand in the process, thatwas _never_ part of the plan! However, despite his loss, he _had _gotten Roxi to listen to his side of the story last night, and made her feel sorry enough for him to pass it along to Draco. Then today he had even successfully fooled the Dark Lord into believing that Roxi's escape was a complete accident on his part. Yes, everything had just about gone according to plan. The pain that he was in now, that much he could handle. All the pain and loss in the world was bearable, so long as Draco was safe and he knew the truth. Maybe now he wouldn't completely hate his father for everything. As Lucius sat there, he began to wonder how Roxi was going to tell him everything, and weather or not Draco would believe her, and how he would react to it all.

Later that evening, as Lucius was pondering all of this, the door at the top of the stairs opened up and a man with flaming red hair, and horn-rimed glasses, came down the stairs. Percy Weasley approached Lucius slowly.

"What is it _you_ want?" Lucius spat. "Come to poke fun at me, have you?"

Percy flinched. It was obvious that, despite Lucious Malfoy's current status with the Dark Lord, he was still afraid of him. Lucius smiled as he realized this. "N-No, not at all," Percy stuttered. "I-I was simply told to come down here and in-inform you that, well, that the Dark Lord says that you aren't to get any supper tonight."

"Did he now?" Lucius sneered. "Well, you can tell the Dark Lord that I-" Lucius stopped in mid-sentence, catching himself. He didn't want to say or do anything that might give Voldemort an excuse to destroy his wand. "Tell him that I… said…" As Lucius searched for the right words to say, his stomach growled. He pounded a weak fist on the floor. "Oh goddamnit!" he exclaimed. "Don't you think he' punished me enough? This shit is absurd! I do not deserve to be treated like this!"

Percy smiled devilishly. "Okay," he said slyly. "I shall tell him you said that then."

"No. Wait!" Lucius called after Percy as he turned to leave. "Percy, please! You mustn't tell him I said that! Please, Percy!"

Percy laughed and stopped in his tracks. He may have felt slightly intimidated by Lucius when he first went down there, but those such feelings had evaporated on the spot, once he realized how truly defenseless Lucius was right now. "Well, well, well," he said turning back around to face him. "This _is _an interesting turn of events, isn't it? Lucious Malfoy, _begging?_ And to me, of all people! You know, I _never_ thought I'd life to see the day when a Malfoy cowered before a Weasley."

"I'm not _cowering _to you, you little shit!" Lucius shot back. "I am simply requesting that this conversation remain between the two of us," he said through gritted teeth.

Percy smiled down at him ever so politely. "Mr. Malfoy, I may be new to all of this, but I certainly am no fool," he said sweetly. "I think I know, by now, how to play this game well enough. And I for one know that you don't just _keep_ _secrets_ from the Dark Lord! If I don't tell him about this when I report back later, he will simply read all about it in my thoughts. He will find out all he needs to know, one way or another. Then I would be punished for withholding information, and I for one, do not wish to end up like _you._ Locked up down here, all alone in the cold with no food, no water, and no wand for protection." Lucius looked like he had just been slapped in the face, which made Percy smile all the more. "Oh yes, that's right, _I _know. Everybody upstairs already knows all about your little punishment this morning. And I must say that I quite agree with the Dark Lord, you are pathetic!"

"Why you little-" Lucius moved to get up and attack, but Percy's reflexes were quicker that he had anticipated. He whipped out his wand in a flash and aimed it at directly at Lucius, who froze at the sight of it. He remembered then that he didn't have a wand of his own anymore. It was Percy who had the upper hand here, and not him. This was going to take a lot of getting used to…

"Ah, ah, ah, Lucius," Percy taunted. "We wouldn't want to do anything that we might regret, now would we? Let us not forget that I am _above_ you now. You are no longer the Dark Lord's right-hand-man! You have no say in anything that goes on around here anymore. You're power is gone. You're all washed up Lucius, and you know it. Your days are numbered, everyone has said so. So let's face it, there is nothing that you can do to harm me!" Lucius only glared in response. He knew that Percy was right. About everything.

Then, without warning, Percy said softly; "Crucio," and Lucius was wreathing on the floor in an instant. After a few short moments, Percy lifted the spell. "And _that_ was for coming at me like you did. Maybe next time, you'll think twice before mistreating _me_ again. Humph!" Then Percy turned his nose up in the air and walked away.

Lucius laid on the ground, his head spinning. He could not believe what had just happened. _How did I let things get like this? _he wondered. _How did I go from being on top, to being at the bottom of the food-chain so suddenly? What the hell did I do to deserve being treated like this? If my days are so numbered, as Percy says, then why is Voldemort bothering keeping me around? Does he really enjoy my suffering _that _much? I honestly don't know how much more of this I can tolerate. I'm beginning to think that maybe I was better off in Azkaban… _Lucius lost track of the time as he laid on the ground, his mind wondering. But it wasn't too long after Percy's disappearance that the door at the top of the steps opened once more, and another man proceeded down the long flight of stairs.

"Oh great," he muttered to himself. "Who is it _this _time?"

But the man, it seems, heard him, for he replied softly; "Relax Luc', it's only me."

"Severus, is that you?" Lucius whispered.

Severus Snape stepped into Lucius live of vision. "Yes, so there's no need to panic. It's not even morning yet."

"Oh, so you know about that, hu?"

"Lucius, everybody knows about that! You know how quickly word gets around here." Lucius cracked a short, hollow laugh. "How're you holding up?" Snape asked.

"Oh, I don't know, Severus," Lucius sighed. "One minute, I think I'm fine. The next, Percy Weasley is shoving his filthy wand in my face, telling me that _he _is above me now!"

"Yeah, I heard about that too," said Snape. "Percy won't shut up about it! He's been raving about his meet with you all freaking day! It's quite annoying actually. He's even claiming that he actually put you under the Cruciatus Cures. But I know that _has _to be a lie, because there is _no way _that that foolish little brat is even capable of such a feat quite yet!"

Lucius looked away from Severus in humiliation. "Well believe it," he said shortly.

Snape was shocked. For a moment, he just stood there with his mouth gaping open, staring down at Lucius as if he half-expected him to shout _"gotcha"_ at any minute now. But Lucius was not joking, he was being dead serious, and Severus knew it. "I… I'm so sorry that happened to you Lucius. You did not deserve… I mean, the Dark Lord already… I'll make Percy Weasly pay for what he did to you, believe that!" He finally finished.

"Severus, don't" he insisted. "This is not your fight. Besides, it's not worth you getting into trouble over me for. I won't have it, you hear?"

"Yes, Lucius, if you insist. Here, before I forget, I've brought you something," He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bundle of napkins. Inside the bundle was a few pieces of toast. He unwrapped it and handed it to Lucius. "I heard he wasn't feeding you tonight and, well… I know it's not much, but it's all I could manage to sneak away without being too obvious as to what I was doing. Sorry."

"Are you kidding me?" Lucius said, snatching the bread away from Snape greedily. "It's perfect! It's better than nothing anyways." He stuffed the bread into his mouth, whole. After Lucius ate all the toast, Severus conjured a glass of water out of thin air and handed it to Lucius to drink. When Lucius was finished, he thanked Severus.

"It was nothing, really," he said modestly. Then after a beat he asked, "So what are you going to do now Lucius?"

"I honestly don't Sev'," he replied. "I just _can't _get what Percy said to me earlier outta my head!"

"What did he -?"

"-He actually said that _he _was above_ me, _and said that I was all washed-up and that I don't have any power anymore! Can you believe that?" But Lucius didn't give Snape any time to answer, for he carried on; "and the worst part of all, is that everything he said is the truth!" Lucius shook his head slowly back and forth. "Percy Weasly is _above _me now," he repeated. "Can you believe that? How the fuck did that happen?" Lucius was yelling now.

"I-I don't know, Luc', But you need to calm down," replied Snape. "The Dark Lord will hear us if we're not too careful."

"It's humiliating!" Lucius raged.

"I know, but _please, _you must lower you voice," Snape advised.

After a moment, Lucius deflated. "You're right," he said in a normal tone. "Yelling about it isn't going to change anything… I just can't put myself through this anymore Severus. I've had about all I can take! I'm at my wits end here and I'm going to go insane just laying around, waiting for him to come back in the morning and torture me some more. It was bad enough this morning, I can't imagine having to go through it all again!"

"That bad, hu?"

"It was awful! The most painful thing I've ever had to endure. Physically anyways," he added. "It was excruciating and it seemed to go on, and on forever! He wouldn't stop Severus! I honestly thought I was going to loose my mind! He has _never _taken it quite that far before!"

"That Dark Lord is angry, Lucius."

"Angry? I think that's a bit of an understatement, don't you?" he said jokingly. "It still hurts, Severus, and I know it going to be much, much worse tomorrow. I just don't think I can go through it all over again! I'm much older than I used to be, and my body can't take much more of this constant abuse."

"So what are you going to do?" he asked again. "Not even I can see any way possible for you to get out of this one. If there were, believe me, I would help you. But, he has your wand, Lucius!"

"Don't you think I know that," Lucius spat. "There's no need to rub it in!"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to -"

"-It's alright, Severus, I know you didn't mean anything by it. Sorry I snapped at you like I did," Lucius sighed. "I'm just _way _too stressed out right now. I'm actually beginning to think that I was much better off in Azkaban than I am here. Isn't that nuts?"

Severus had that shocked expression on his face again, for the second time that night. "Lucius Malfoy, are you crazy? How on earth could Azkaban possibly be better than here?"

"Well, at least _there_ they don't attempt to starve you to death," Lucius replied. "There, there's no waiting around trying to guess what might happen tomorrow, because you already know your sentence and each and every day is the same as the last. It's quiet there, and a hell of a lot more peaceful than this place is! It's no where near as stressful neither."

"Lucius Malfoy, you are out of your mind," Snape exclaimed. "Please, tell me you're notthinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"I'm sorry, Severus," Lucius said softly. "But I really do think that it's the only way I'm going to get out of all this."

Snape shook his head in fervent protest. "I must disagree with you on this one, Lucius. I just don't see how turning yourself in is going to do you a damn bit of good! You won't get a trial! You're a Death Eater, and now everyone knows it. You've escaped Azkaban once already and they're out to get you as it is! Don't you understand that they will kill you if they catch you?"

"Don't _you _understand, Severus, that that is exactly what I want!"

"WHAT?" Snape bellowed. "Tell me you're not seriously still on about _that, _are you?"

"Of coarse I am," Lucius asserted. "We've been through this several times now, Severus. I've been wanting my life to be over for quite some time, and you know that. Why else do you suppose he has me locked up down here? You are aware of everything that's happened to me in the past few months, and all that I've been going through, so this should come as no surprise to you. _He_ won't kill me, and he won't allow me kill myself, so why not let the Ministry do it?"

After a brief silence, Snape made a confession to Lucius. "You know you're one of the only true friends I've ever had, right?"

"Yes, I know that Severus," Lucius spoke softly. "And believe me, the feeling is mutual."

"Then _why _would you put me through this?"

Lucius sighed. "Listen, it's just as Percy said earlier, and I can't believe I'm even agreeing with _him, _but my days are already numbered as it is, Sev'. The Dark Lord will eventually grow weary of this game he's playing with me right now. And when he does, I fear that will be the end for me anyways. It's not that I am intentionally trying to hurt you, or Draco, or anyone else."

"I never said that you were doing it intentionally," he assured. "It's just that, well you're the only person who knows about _that_ _night._ I told you what really happened and you actually believed me. You're one of the few who don't think I'm completely evil. And you and I are both alike in the fact that neither one of us want to be here, but we _have_ to be, because we have nowhere else to go. You hate him just as much as I do and, well if you leave, then that means I'm going to be stuck here alone with all of them!"

"Well Severus, think of it this way: I am going to die soon, no matter what. Neither one of us can deny that! Don't you think it would be a much more noble way to go if I just turned myself in, rather than become the Dark Lords next victim? I've already been his victim for all my life, I would hate to be as such in death as well!"

"I suppose I do understand where you're coming from," he admitted grudgingly. "It just sucks, that's all."

"And, when I turn myself in, I am going to tell the Minister everything," Lucius stated.

"Everything?"

"Yes everything! As in, everything I've done, every murder I've committed, every crime I've been involved in. And I'm going to tell him everything I know about Voldemort as well. What his intentions are for the Ministry, and even what he is plotting to do with _them._

"You're going to tell the Minister of Magic about the Gypsies?" Snape asked skeptically. Lucius nodded. "He's not going to believe you. You know that right? Everyone within the Ministry is exactly the same, they only believe what they _want_ to hear!"

"I am aware of that," Lucius admitted. "But still, I am telling him. Weather he chooses to believe it or not is on him."

Snape bit his lower lip. "When are you leaving?" He asked finally.

"I was thinking about slipping through the secret passageway tonight actually, while the Dark Lord is out. But I don't want your help," he added quickly, before Snape could even offer. "It's nothing personal, Sev'. It's just that this is something I have to do on my own. If you are involved in any way and he were to find out…"

"I understand," Snape said. "And I'll do my best to act like this conversation never even took place."

"Thank you. The last thing I want is you getting into any kind of trouble on _my _account." The room was filled with an awkward silence again, until Lucius sighed. "You had better get going, Severus, before he notices you're gone."

Snape's head snapped up as if he were coming out of a trance. "You're right. I have been down here for far too long." Snape got to his feet. "Well, Lucius, good luck tonight. Be careful. And, if you do make it to the Ministry, try not to survive this time," he said with a chuckle. "I'd hate to see what would happen if Voldemort ever gets his hands on you again after this."

Lucius laughed along, in spit of himself. "You're right, Severus, as usual. Don't worry, I'll make sure to do it right this time."

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then…?"

Lucius nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is…"

A moment later, Snape kneeled down next to his best friend and pulled him into a bear hug. "I really am going to miss you, you know that, right?"

"I know. And you're probably about the only person who will," he stated with a hollow laugh. "If you should ever see Draco again," he whispered into Snape's ear. "Please tell him that I _am_ proud of him, and that I did love him very much."

"I promise, I will," Snape whispered back, then he rose to his feet. "Be careful Lucius."

"You too Severus." Then Snape turned and walked back up the steps, without looking back, leaving Lucius once again alone in the dark…

**~*~**

It was going on 1 o'clock in the morning when the portrait on Rufus Scrimgeour's bedroom wall startled him out of his sleep. The man in the frame insisted that it was of utmost importance he get to the Ministry as fast as possible. The Minister of Magic jumped out of bed, threw on some traveling robes, and went straight to his office at once immediately. The whole time, dreading what he might find when he arrived.

"This had better be important," he grumbled, crawling out of the fireplace and into his office. He began dusting himself off. "If this ends up to be something that could have waited until morning, I swear I'll -" The Minister looked up and froze in astonishment. Standing there in his office was Kingsley Shacklebolt, his head of security, holding Lucius Malfoy in custody.

"I caught him on Ministry property tonight, sir" Kingsley spoke in his deep voice. "I have no idea weather there are others about or not. He insists he came alone, but our finest Aurors are scoping things out, just to be sure."

"Good, good," exclaimed the Minister. "Excellent work Kingsley. I can't believe you caught Lucius Malfoy!"

"Actually, sir, I didn't catch him."

"Well then, who did?"

"No one, sir. He surrendered."

"What? Surrendered? Why?" It was quite clear that the Minister was flabbergasted by this this bit of news.

"We are yet unaware," answered Kingsley. "He only wishes to speak with you, sir. My apologies, but we could get no further information out of him."

"That's quite alright, Kingsley, no need to apologize," he assured him. "I think you've done enough as it is just, in capturing him and bringing him to me. Well done! Now we'll finally be able to print something _good_ in the paper for a change! Lock him up at once."

"As you wish." Kingsley made to steer Lucius out of the office, but Lucius wouldn't budge. He drew his wand and pressed it into his neck. "If you will come with me, Mr. Malfoy."

"I told you, I wish to speak with the Minister first," Lucius said tensely.

"You don't have that right," Kingsley barked. "Now either you come with me by choice, or I shall drag you out of here by force!"

"Minister, please," Lucius said, speaking to Rufus and ignoring Kingsley altogether. "I need to speak with you. There are things about Voldemort that you need to know!"

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Roared Kingsley. "I will take you -"

"Wait a moment, Kingsley," Rufus ordered. "I think I want to hear what he has to say."

"Who cares what he has to say? He's a Death Eater, and Lucius Malfoy at that! It'll probably all be lies anyways!"

"I am not about to lie to you," Lucius pressed. "I turned myself in for a very good reason. So why would I risk my life to come here just to tell a lie?"

"He stresses a very good point, " Scrimgeour admitted. "Kingsley, sit him down and bind him to the chair."

Kingsley Shacklebolt shot the Minister an incredulous look as he unwillingly did as he was told. He sat Lucius down on the chair in front of Rufus' desk and tapped his wand against both the arms and legs of the chair, which instantly grew hands and latched ahold of Lucius. The hands of the chair held both of his arms and legs tightly in place so he could not escape. Then Kingsley took his place at the door, guarding the entrance. While he was doing so, Cornelius Fudge silently took up his usual spot, off to the side of the desk, and prepared start to writing. Whatever Lucius was about to say, he would be sure to take it all down for future reference.

"Well, Lucius," said Scrimgeour, "now that you have my attention, what is it you wanted to say to me?"

Lucius cleared his throat before he began. "Well minister, first I would like to ensure you that the Dark Lord has no idea I am even here. I imagine he wont be too pleased when he finds out though. You see, I have snuck away when he wasn't looking."

"Why," Scrimgeour asked suspiciously.

"I wanted to get the hell away from him," Lucius exclaimed. "Why else? He isn't too pleased with me right now and, well, because of that, he hasn't been treating me very well lately. He's taken to locking me up and starving me as punishment for my failures. He refuses to just kill me and get it over with, like he does with everyone else! Instead, he does just enough to barley keep me alive. It's been awful!" Lucius shuddered. "I got sick of dealing with it, so I came here."

"And do you honestly think that here will be any better?" The Minster scoffed. "You're a Death Eater, Lucius. I have to kill you!"

"I am well aware of that," Lucius said calmly. "The Dark Lord was planning to kill me anyways, he was just making a career out of it. So I thought to myself, if I'm going to die no matter what, then why not go out doing whatever I can to thwart him? He has taken everything from me, and now, now it's my turn to take something away from him!"

"Like what?" asked Scrimgeour.

"You," he answered simply. Then Lucius went into elaborate detail about the plan that Voldemort had made to overtake the Ministry and kill the Minister of Magic. From there, he went on to tell Mr. Scrimgeour about the Gypsy Clan that Voldemort had discovered, and how he'd planned to use them after he gained control of the ministry.

When Lucius had finished, the Minister of Magic shook his head. "Lucius, I still don't understand why you are telling me all of this. It won't save you're life, you know."

"I know," he said. "And I didn't expect it to. I am telling you all of this simply so you can be prepared, Minister, for what may be coming. I also wish to come clean and confess all of the crimes I have committed that you do not yet have record of."

"Good gracious, Lucious, how many more can there be? The list already goes on and on!"

Lucius smiled darkly. "There's quite a bit more Minister, starting with the last time I was on trial after the Dark Lords first fall. Remember how I said that I only did you-know-who's bidding under the influence of the Imperious Curse? Well, that was a lie! I knew what I was doing the entire time and, back then, I was proud of it too!" Lucius then proceeded to tell Minister Scrimgeour a list of other various crimes he had committed and people he had killed.

Most of this news stunned the Minister, especially when Lucius started talking about all the killings he had been involved in. He didn't understand how Lucius could just sit there so comfortably and talk about all this with such a calmness, like as if this conversation was nothing out of the ordinary. To someone like Lucius though, it probably wasn't. When he had finished naming off names, Rufus looked over at Fudge and breathlessly asked, "Did you get all that, Fudge?"

"I sure did, sir!" Fudge exclaimed. "Every last syllable of it!"

"Good, because I sure didn't catch it all, there was so much!" Then he turned back to Lucius. "Now I can understand your reasoning for wanting to tell me all about you-know-who's plan to infiltrate the Ministry and all that. But Lucius, why are you telling me all of this? Why confess to half these crimes when you have already either been cleared of them or gotten away with them? I mean, what's the point really?"

"You don't know what it feels like, Minister, to reach the end of the line and look back on your life, only to realize that it was all for nothing… Pointless," Lucius trailed off for a moment. "I've been doing a lot of thinking here lately and I've realized something; that having the only one you love more than life itself taken away from you, it sucks! You see, I had never lost someone before he killed my wife. Well, someone I cared about that is. I mean, I lost both of my parents, but my mother was never around and my father was a as whole! So they don't count. My point here is that it's the most awful feeling in the world to wake up in the morning and realize that you will never see her peaceful, sleeping face beside you ever again… That you will never hear her soft, smooth voice telling you that it'll be alright, even when you both know it's not... That she will never be waiting by the door again to pull you into her warm embrace after getting home from a hard days work… It is a feeling that I would wish upon noman,yet a feeling that I realize I have forced upon many men myself.

"I have killed over 60 people, Minister. Now imagine that those people have _at_ _least _two loved-ones who care about them…. That's over 120 people that are feeling this way because of me! A hundred and twenty people that I have mad feel lost, empty, incomplete, alone, and torn." Lucius shook his head. "Now that _I know_ how it feels to loose someone, I hate myself for making so many others feel this way! When Voldemort killed Narcissa, the only thing I could think about was revenge. The desire to make the Dark Lord pay for taking her away from me still consumes the majority of my thoughts. Now, I believe it's safe to bet that those hundred-and-twenty-some people feel the same way about me that I do about Voldemort right now. They want revenge. They want justice. They want to see my life to become forfeit for the murders that I have committed. And can you blame them?"

"Well - I…" The Minister stammered. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, let alone bring himself to admit that Lucius Malfoy was really the one saying all of it!

"Hell no," Lucius interrupted. "And I don't blame them one bit at all! They _should_ be repaid somehow, after everything that I have stolen from them. And that, Minister, is why I am here. Because now that I know how I have made them feel, I cannot stand to look at myself in the mirror anymore. I cannot live with the things I have done, and I feel the deepest of remorse, especially for all the murders I have committed. But I was only doing what I _had_ _to_ _do_ in order to survive. Never once, did I consider the feelings of others. I've never cared about anyone but myself before… until now. Now that's it too late." Lucius heaved a heavy sigh. "My life has no point to it anymore. Narcissa is dead and Draco hates me. I really do think it's time for me to go. Minister. And I would much rather die at the hand of the ministry, giving all those who I have wronged a sense of justice, than die at the hands of Voldemort. He has already taken enough from me, he doesn't deserve to be the one to take my life as well! That's why I have decided to surrender myself to you tonight. I am yours to do with as you will. I will not try to run or escape in any way. I promise you that, Minister."

When Lucius had finished, Rufus looked over at Fudge again. "Did you get all of _that _taken down?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"You bet, sir. I got every last written here!" Fudge excitedly replied. "The _Prophet _editors will be so pleased to publish this in the news tomorrow."

"Tell me about it," Rufus agreed.

"Please don't," Lucius pleaded. "If you go public with this tomorrow, _he _will know!"

"What? You mean, you-know-who reads the_ Daily Prophet?" _Scrimgeour asked incredulously. "That's absurd!"

"Well Minister, it _you_ were being talked about in the paper everyday, wouldn't you want to read it, and see what they were saying about you?" Lucius asked smoothly.

"Well I-I am, and I do. But that's- _I'm_ the Minister of Magic! _He's _-"

"Very good at what he does," Lucius credited, "because he stays on top of everything."

"So you-know-who reads our papers," mutterer Fudge. "Wow…"

"Well Lucius, I must say; you have put me in quite the predicament here," stated Rufus.

"Have I?"

"Yes. After your last escape, the law was changed again. Now, it clearly states that any Death Eater brought into captivity is to immediately be sentenced to death at once. No trial, no stint in Azkaban, _nothing_," Scrimgeour replied briskly. "But then _you_ show up here tonight, of your own free will, volunteering all of this new information… I have no idea of how to handle a situation like this, because nothing like this has ever happened before. Death Eaters just don't go around apologizing for their mistakes and turning themselves in all the time! This is a thing unheard of!" He shook his head slowly. "Now what am I going to do with you?"

Lucius smiled darkly. "I think I might have an idea…"


	13. And There Will be Justice for All

~ **And There Will Be Justice For All**~

It had been two days since the meeting. Two days since the discovery of the spy. Two days since Roxi's capture and escape from Voldemort. The weekend was over and today was supposed to be the day that Roxi left the Burrow and returned to work. However, when Molly asked her where she was going to go, Roxi informed her that, after work, she was going back to the room she had rented at the Inn not far from there. Now we all know Molly of coarse, and Molly Weasly simply wouldn't have any part in that.

"Now Roxi, that's just silly," she replied when Roxi had stated where she was going. "Do you even know how long you're going to be staying here?" To which Roxi shook her head no. "Well then, why pay to stay at the inn when you don't even know how long you're going to be there? No one knows how long this war's going to last, it could be years, and you really can't be expected to stay there _that _long! I know, why don't you move in here with us? Goodness know we have _plenty _of room! What do you say, hmmm?"

Roxi had taken Molly up on her offer this morning and moved all of her things into Charlie's old room, which was conveniently located right across the hall from Draco. It was now lunchtime and Arthur was getting ready to go into work himself. He was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping his coffee when an owl delivered the day's edition of the _Daily Prophet. _He had just taken another sip as he unfolded the paper and upon seeing the front page news, the coffee came spewing back out of Arthur's mouth. "WHAT?" He shouted.

A startled Molly dropped her wand. "Good heavens, Arthur, you gave me a fright!" she exclaimed, scrambling to retrieve it. "What on earth was _that_ for?" she demanded. Bur Arthur didn't answer his wife, as his nose was now buried deep in the paper. "Arthur, did you hear me? What's going on?" She then bent over her husband to get a look at the paper for herself.

"Oh my…" Molly trailed off, getting lost in the article herself. They were both so consumed by the news that neither one of them noticed Roxi come into the kitchen and pour herself a glass of orange juice.

"Whacha readin'?" Roxi inquired, causing both of the Weasley's to jump. Arthur quickly folded up the paper and Molly hurried back to the stove.

"I-It's nothing," said Arthur breathlessly. "Just the news."

"Cool! Can I see it?"

"No!" He replied fast.

Roxi gave Arthur a suspicious look. "Why not?"

"Uh, because," he replied. "You're new here, so you don't know, but I happen to have a routine. Everyday I drink a cup of coffee and I read the paper before I have to go into work. And _no one _disrupts my routine!"

"Uh-hu… So, can I see it?" she asked again with a laugh.

"No! Didn't you just hear me? I said I'm not done with it yet!"

"Well you're not the only one who has to work today," Roxi stated.

"Yes, but I have to be there in 35 minutes. You on the other hand, don't have to be in until 2:00 this afternoon!"

"Arthur Weasley, if you don't hand over that newspaper right now, I swear I… I'll… I'll just go to the store and, uh, buy my own!"

Arthur glanced up at her from behind the paper. "And you haven't left yet because…?"

"Oh Arthur, for goodness sake," exclaimed Molly. "Don't you dare make that poor girl go all the way to the store! Just give her the damn paper. Everyone's going to know about it sooner or later anyways."

"Molly, I really don't think that's such a very -"

"- I'll take that!" Roxi said, cutting Arthur's statement short as she snatched the paper out of his hands while he was looking away. She glanced at the front page. "OH MY GOD!" she yelled.

"- Good idea." Arthur finished. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll have that-" he snatched the paper away from Roxi, "-back now."

"Wait! I have _got _to finish reading that!" Roxi demanded, scrambling over to Arthur.

"_I_ haven't even read it all yet!" Molly stated. "Let me see it dear…"

Then the two women leaned over one of Arthur's shoulders and the three of them all started reading the paper together. They were all so consumed by the front page that, just as when Roxi came in, neither of them noticed Draco walk into the room. He went over to the fridge, poured himself a glass of milk, then took his usual seat at the table. "Anything good in the news?" Draco asked casually, taking a sip from his glass of milk. There was an audible gasp from the three of them as they all looked up from the paper and stared at Draco in shock.

After a beat, Molly Weasley was the first to recover. "Draco!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing down here?"

"Um, I came down here to join you for lunch, like I always do. Every day. At this time. That is _your rule, _isn't it?" he reminded her. "That I join you for each and every family meal."

"Oh, right. My rule. Of coarse it is!" she said quickly. "Well then, Draco, can I get you anything? Some more milk perhaps? Or I could make you a sandwich, or brew you some fresh sweet tea," Molly was rambling on and on, trying to be as sweet and innocent as possible.

It wasn't working. Draco saw right through her transparent behavior. "Alright, what's going on?" he asked bluntly. The three of them all scrambled at once to answer him.

"- N-Nothing!" Roxi stammered. "Nothing is going on here. Absolutely nothing at al!"

"- What's going on?" Repeated Arthur. "What do you mean; what's going on?"

"- Dear, nothing is going on," said Molly.

"Right," said Draco skeptically. "Then why are you all being so nice to me? I'm not stupid! What the hell is in that paper?"

"Well would you look at the time!" Arthur announced. "It's time for me to go to work!" He got up and kissed his wife upon the cheek. "Good luck dear," he whispered into her ear.

Arthur's abrupt departure was followed by a long awkward silence between the three of them, in which they all looked at one another, each waiting for the other to be the first one to speak. Finally, Molly decided to try and change the subject. "Draco, dear, are you sure I can't get you some more milk, or _something?_ Isn't there anything you need? Anything at all?"

"Yeah," he said. "I _need _to know what's going on here! You two are keeping something from me and I demand to know what it is!"

"Well, alrighty then," Roxi prattled. "Look Draco, there really isn't any easy way for me to tell you this, Soo, I'm not going to tell you anything at all!" She then thrust the _Daily Prophet _towards him. "Here ya go! Everything you need to know is in there."

"Roxi!" Molly gasped. "I really don't think _that's_ the best way I-I mean, this is a very sensitive issue we're dealing with here, and -"

"- Are _you _going to be the one to tell him all that?" Roxi challenged. "Because I sure as hell ain't!"

"Ugh!" Molly exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in clear annoyance. Then she went back to leaning over the stove, slaving to get dinner done early.

Draco slowly unfolded the paper. A sharp intake of breath escaped him as he stared directly into the eyes of his father. A large picture of Lucius Malfoy was plastered onto the front page of _the Prophet, _with a heading that read: **DEATH EATER SURRENDERS! **And underneath the picture, the article began: _"Last night, at approximately 1:00 in the morning, Death Eater Lucius Malfoy surrendered himself into Ministry of Magic custody. He claims to feel remorse for all that he has done and is said to be giving up at last. The Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, has informed us that, despite him turning himself in, Lucius Malfoy is still to receive the Death Sentence. However, the Minister it seems, is doing things a tad bit differently this time…" _

Draco read, and re-read, the article quickly in complete silence. Then, without a word to anyone, he got up from the table and went back upstairs. As he lay in his bed, the last words of the final statement in the article were echoing in the back of his head: _"Rest assured, says the Minister, By this time next week, Lucius Malfoy will be no more…" _His father had been sentenced to death. That was it. There was no way out of it this time. The law was final. And, here within the next few days, Draco would be the only Malfoy left alive. _And how long will _that_ last? _he wondered.

A few moments later, Roxi came in to find Draco sitting up, cross-legged on the bed, his face buried in his hands. He wasn't crying, as she expected him to be. Instead, he was still. He sat there, motionless, contemplating the news he had just read. She sat down on the corner, at the edge of the bed, and waited patiently for Draco to be the first to speak.

At last, Draco said, "I can't believe it, he figured it out after all." Roxi was taken aback. Of all the things she thought he'd say, _that_ was not one of them. "I-I mean, you were just saying here the other night that my father was trying to kill himself, but had no means of doing so," Draco explained. "Well, it looks like he just found a means, doesn't it? Turning himself in like that. I guess he's just decided to let the Ministry of Magic do it for him."

_Oh, now it makes sense, _Roxi thought. "So, are you going to go tonight?" she asked softly, still unsure of how he would react.

"Are _you?" _he spat.

"Well, I- I _do_ have to work tonight, so I suppose I will be there. I just don't know weather or not I'm going to be put _there _exactly. It's hard to say really."

Draco shook his head. "All these years I've spent _wishing _my father were dead, wishing he would just go away and never come back, wanting him out of my life forever… Now that I seem to be getting what I've always wanted, I realize that what I thought I wanted was not exactly what I really ever wanted at all. Now that it comes down to it, I _don't _want my father to die! I don't want to be the only one left…"

"You know ,they always say to be careful with what you wish for." Roxi had said this with the intent of lightening up the mood a bit, however, it had the opposite effect.

"Are you implying that I brought this all on myself?" Draco roared.

"What? No! That's not what I meant at all!" She said defensively. "Draco, I - I am _so_ sorry! That came out completely wrong and I-I never should have said that! Sorry!" She put a hand over her mouth.

"You should be sorry," he sneered. Then he looked away from her and crossed his arms defiantly. "I don't know if I want to go or not," he said, speaking in a normal tone once more. "I mean, I do have more of a right than any of those people to be there. After all, he _has_ screwed up my life a hell of a lot more than he has anyone else's. So why shouldn't I be there?"

"Do you think it's right though, what the Minister is doing to him?" she inquired.

"Yes… And no. I-I mean, Voldemort killed my mother and a part of me yearns to just be able to take one shot at him, to pay him back for what he took from me. I am longing for revenge on Voldemort, and I am sure all those people are as well in the case of my father. But bringing in one person from the immediate family of every individual my father has killed, and then unleashing them upon him? I don't know if I could take part in something like that morally. It's barbaric to even think about! After all, there will be over 60 people there…"

"Well the Minister is trying to ensure justice for all," she responded. "I mean, when you think about it, your father has quite a bit to make up for. He has wronged _a lot _of people and Rufus is only trying to be fair to all them, or at least, that's what I think."

Draco shrugged. "I suppose when you consider it logically, like that, it makes sense. But what I don't get is that it's not very _Ministry-like behavior. _This is more something the Death Eaters would do; something _they _might find funny. Not the strictly-by-the-book Ministry of Magic. It's not like them to host a punishment like this."

"I wonder who came up with it then," Roxi pondered.

"It doesn't matter who," he said. "The point is that they did, and now they're doing it."

After a moment, she him asked again; "so, are you gonna go?"

"I just told you, I don't know!" he shouted. Then he asked softly, "I'd at least like to have a chance to say goodbye and let him know that I do believe everything you told me."

"Then I think you should go, Draco," she said seriously. "For this may be your _only _chance at that. I highly doubt that the Minister of Magic will allow somebody like Lucius Malfoy the luxury of Visitation Rights. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the law clearly states that he has no rights, given that he is a Death Eater and all."

Draco sighed. "I don't know," he said again. "I'll have to think about it I suppose."

Roxi nodded. "I can tell you need to be alone," she said softly. "I'll let you have some peace and quiet now, to think it all over. I need to go and get ready for work anyways. I have to be there in one hour. I'll talk to you later, Draco," she said, getting up from the bed. "And good luck figuring it all out," she said earnestly. "I know you'll do the right thing." And with that, she left him alone to mull over everything that was going on… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Draco Malfoy had been at the Ministry of Magic for a little over an hour now. He was standing at the back of the room in which his father, Lucius Malfoy, was being "punished" for the crimes in which he had committed, by those in which he had committed them against. After finally getting up enough nerve to come here, he had crept into the back of the room about 10 minutes after it had began. He was wearing a long grey traveling cloak, and never bothered to remove his hood off after taking up his place in line. For Draco Malfoy was no fool. He knew that there were still witches & wizards out there who disagreed with the Minister's decision to grant him his freedom and that, more likely that not, every single person in this room was one of them! These people were all here to bring about the end of Lucius Malfoy because he had murdered their loved-ones. They were all here for one thing: _Revenge_. So, how would it look if Lucius Malfoy -the one who they were prosecuting-'s son turned up in their midst? He knew that he would not be welcomed here if he were recognized anybody in this large, angry crowd. Therefore, he was sure to keep his head down, doing his best to remained concealed.

The man at the end of the line had kindly let Draco go in front of him when he came in. At first, he just passed it off as maybe the man was waiting for somebody else. But then, when 5 or 6 more people came in, he allowed them all to cut in front as well, insisting that he _had _to be the last in line. Draco thought this behavior to be quite suspicious, seeing how as everybody else in the room could hardly wait to get their hands on Lucius Malfoy. They were all dying to have a piece of him. He tried to keep a close watch on the man as he waited in line, but this, however, proved to be a difficult feat, for the majority of his attention-span had to remain focused on keeping his emotions in check. Every time his father cried out in pain, Draco had to resist the urge to run up onto the platform and protect him. He knew that he could _not _interfere with what the Minister had decided to do. Lucious' death was emanant, there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening. He was simply here to pay his last respects to the man who had raised him, nothing more. Still, it was a very difficult thing to have to watch. He stood there, gritting his teeth, clenching his fists, and squeezing his eyes shut, breathing heavily with the pent-up rage he was now feeling towards all of these people. Sure, he couldn't blame them for being angry, they had every right to be angry! But, acting like _this? _After all, _this_ was the kind of thing that the Death Eater's would do. The sort of thing that _they _might find funny. For his one-shot at Lucius, and to much applause from the crowd, a rather large and burly man had grabbed his father's arm, the one bearing the Dark Mark on it, and bent it back in the wrong direction until it snapped. This caused Lucius to howl the loudest he had so far. Draco actually winced too, but thankfully it was not heard over the booming crowd.

He had seen so much in the last hour, dreadful things. Some used curses on Lucius, but others preferred the use of their bare hands. They punched him in the face, kicked him in the ribs, and in the groin several times, and one woman he even grabbed a handful of his hair and bounced his head off the stone floor, causing blood to trickle down the side of his face, staining Lucius' pale blonde hair. And standing there now, watching all of this take place, Draco _still_ didn't know weather or not he had made the right decision in coming here tonight. Nor did he know what he would do once he got up onto the platform where Lucius was. All he knew was that his turn was slowly drawing nearer and nearer.

When it _was_ finally his turn, Draco slowly walked up onto the platform. By the time he reached his father, he was trembling with rage. As he towered over Lucius, the whole crowd grew silent, just as they had done with everyone else, while they waited to see what he would do next. Draco stood there, allowing all the awful memories of his childhood to flow through his brain. Then he remembered finding out the truth about the day he was born, and discovering his entire life had been a lie. He thought of his mother and the sacrifice she had made for him, which in turn reminded him of the countless number of fight his parents had had over him. He had been so angry at Lucius for so long now, and this was his chance to release that anger. He slowly drew back his fist, preparing to strike. As he did do, Lucius looked up and froze. Only he could see that the man underneath the hood was his son. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, bracing himself. _This is it, _he thought. _Draco hasn't forgiven me then. He does still hate me…_

Just as Draco was about to bring his fist down upon his father, he heard Roxi's voice in the back of his head. He remembered her saying, just a few nights ago, that everything Lucius had done, he had done so to protect him from Lord Voldemort. And he had excepted that as the truth, had he not? He had forgiven his father completely… So then, why was he standing here now with his fist raised? Draco screamed as he brought his fist down, putting all of his strength into it. He punched the ground. Hard. His fist hitting just inches away from Lucius' face. He was almost certain that he had broken his knuckle in the process, but that didn't matter to him right now. As he had stooped down to strike his father, his hood had blown off and now everyone in the room knew who he was. They gasped as they realized that Lucius Malfoy's son had been among them this whole time.

Draco was panting as if he had just ran a marathon, his heart was racing. "I can't do it," he whispered. Then he yelled at the top of his lungs, "I CAN'T DO IT!"

One man in yelled, "Get the hell off the stage then!" Which was followed by several agreements from within the crowd. Draco slowly got to his feet and turned to face them as they bombarded him with their protests.

"Who invited him?"

"He has a lot of nerve showing up here like this!"

"What the hell is he doing here anyways?"

"Yeah, what the hell are you doing here, _Malfoy!" _The disgusting emphasis the last man had put on Draco's last name caused him to snap.

"What the hell am I doing here?" he spoke softly. "What the hell am I doing here?" he repeated, shouting it this time. "I'll tell you what the hell I'm doing; the same thing as all of you! Getting my shot at revenge, that's what!"

"Yeah, right, like we're going to believe that! That man is _your_ father!"

"You're damn right he is! And you've got _no_ _clue_ what is was like being raised by him, now do you?" he shot back. "I have more a right to be standing up here right now that _any _of you people," he shouted. "After all, _that man" _- he jerked his hand back towards his father, and Lucius flinched involuntarily - "has screwed up my life a hell of a lot more than he has anybody else's! Not a damn one of you know what I've been put through because of him! So how dare you question why I'm here!"

"Get off the stage!"

"Yeah, stop protecting him! We all know you're _just like him!" _

"I am _NOT _like him at all," Draco insisted. "And I will _never_ put my children through half the things he's put me through! This man has taken _everything_ from me! My childhood, my youth, my confidence, my self-respect, my entire life basically! It's all been 20 years of pure hell because of him! I've never had any _real_ friends, because _he_ never allowed it! Growing up, I was _never_ allowed to go outside and play with any of the other kids because, well, lets face it, I wasn't even allowed to _be _a kid! And anytime I would even remotely act like one, my father would always smack me around and say things like; '_stop acting like a baby Draco, it's time for you to grow up now Draco, you're not a child anymore Draco!' _And I got so _sick_ of hearing it! Nothing I have done in my life has ever been good enough for dear-old-daddy, now has it?" He turned on his father. "Admit it, I was _never_ a good enough son for you, was I?"

"Draco," Lucius said weakly "I-I, you know that I -"

"- I don't wanna hear it!" he yelled, cutting his father off sharply. Then he turned back to face the crowd, _none_ of them were daring to interrupt Draco now. They were all so shocked by his outburst, that none of them really could find the words to speak, even if they'd wanted to. And so Draco ranted on.

"My point is that I am pretty screwed up now because of _him! _I can't even seem to keep my emotions in check anymore, because he never allowed me to have them growing up. I've never been allowed to express myself before, never had the freedom of speech that you all take for granted. It was always; _keep your trap shut and do as I say, Draco!" _he said, imitating Lucius' voice as he had done before. This was the point in the conversation that just Roxi happened to walk into the back of the room. She was on her lunch break, and had decided to stop by to check how Lucius' punishment had turned out. Instead, _this _is what she walked into! She froze by the door and listened intently to every word Draco was saying.

"Emotions make you weak. That's what he always taught me. But I have recently learned that this is a lie! Hell, everything he's ever taught me is a LIE! Emotions don't make you weak, they make you human!"

_Oh my gosh, _thought Roxi. _I taught him that! That means he really _does_ listen to me! _

"Not even my _perfect father_ back there is exempt from having them. Why else do you think he is allowing all of you to treat him like this? Why else do you suppose he turned himself in? Because he fees remorse, that's why! Because, weather he likes to admit it or not, he has _feelings_, the same as all of you! Now I don't blame you all for being angry. I don't blame you for wanting revenge. I's a perfectly natural thing to want after you loose someone close to you. I should know, Voldemort killed my mother" -an audible gasp arose from the crowd as Draco mentioned the Dark Lord's name- "He killed her right in front of me, and her dead body landed practically in my lap! So don't think I'm standing up here just to hear myself talk! I can identify with each and every one of you! And oh, what I would not give to have piece of Voldemort's ass for what he has done to me! But I know now that it doesn't matter. Even if I could extract revenge upon him, what difference would it make? It surely wouldn't bring my mother back to me, nothingevercan!

"So I must ask you all now, what is the point? Now you all know why I'm here, but why exactly are _you_ here? Is what you've done tonight going to make it all any better? Has it made you feel good about yourselves? You take a good look at that man behind me and you just _look _at what you've done to him! Look at what your anger has caused. Look at yourselves even! Do you know what you all remind me of? _DEATH_ _EATERS!_ This is exactly the kind of thing that _they _would do; the sortta thing _they _would find amusing! And certainly _not_ anything I would expect out of all of you! I mean, you're all supposed to be civilized witches and wizards by now, are you not? We're all adults here, and yet the only adult-like behavior I've seen today comes from my father! Yeah, that's right" - he added in response to the dirty looks he was getting. "I am indeed talking about Lucius back there. At least _he _was man enough to fess up to what he's done. He at least was able to admit that he was wrong! Whereas all of _you_ have been parading about here all evening, gallivanting around and acting like _Death Eaters! _In all my lifer, I never would have thought I'd live to see something quite like this, and believe me, I've seen a lot! But _this_, this just tops the cake! You people are unbelievable! What would your children think if they had seen your behavior here tonight, hu? Think about that!" He took a moment to pause for dramatic effect. "Lucius Malfoy was able to come to his senses at last and admit that he was wrong. He has finally decided to tell the truth for once in his life. And it is because of that that I have decided to forgive him. Even after everything that he has done to me, everything he's stolen from me, and all that he has put me through; I forgive him. Now, if I can stand here and do that, after all I've just told you, why cant you do the same? Now I know my father is going to die. His sentence is just, and I am in no way trying to change that. All I'm asking is that you _please, _find a different way. There are hundreds of other ways you can kill him, just please… not like this.

"I know now that there are only a handful of you left to come up here, so it hardly makes a damn bit difference what you decide to do from this point. If you still want to come up here and have a go, I wont stand in your way. However, I will remind you each to _think_ about what your doing. Think about how your behaving. Do you really want to partake in Death-Eater-like activity? I'm done now… I will have no part in this."

Then Draco stood aside and waited. Slowly, the crowd began making their way out, and the last couple of people who had been behind Draco began to follow them. Draco sighed in relief, glad that it was over. Roxi slowly started pushing her way to the front as everyone else was making their way towards the back. The Minister of Magic took the stage again, announcing that the session was finished. However, there was still just one man who was refusing to leave. The suspicious guy who had let so many people, Draco included, cut in front of him was up on the platform now, arguing with Scrimgeour.

"I've waited my turn in this bloody line all day, damn it!" he shouted. "And now I'm leaving until I get my shot at him, weather you like it or not. I rightly don't give a shit what his boy has to say about it neither!"

"Didn't you hear me?" shouted Rufus. "I just said we're done here!" A few people in the crowd stopped and turned around to see what all the commotion was about. Roxi stopped too, now in the middle of the room, to listen to what was being said

"And did _you _hear_ me? _Because I said that I'm not,"The man shouted back. Then he pointed a finger at Lucius. "That man killed my wife, and I intend to make him pay for it!" Upon hearing this, both of the Malfoy's gaped at the man in shock.

"Let him come," Lucius wheezed.

"Honestly, Lucius," said the Minister, "haven't I complied for you enough? I used your stupid idea already, and _look_ at what it turned out to be!"

"Wait, what?" said a confused Draco. "_His _idea? You mean- you mean this wasn't _your_ plan, Minister? You didn't come up with this punishment?"

"Heaven's no," he insisted. "I could have _never_ come up like something like thison my own! Your father was so damn adamant about paying all these people back. So you see, you weren't far off in thinking that this was a Death Eater kind of thing, my boy. I've been waiting for it to be over since the moment it began!"

"It doesn't matter, Rufus. Let him come," Lucius said again, a little bit stronger now.

"My god, Lucius," Rufus exclaimed. "Now I know this is a bit of a weak spot of yours, but how much more of this can you possibly take?"

"But Minister, I thought you _wanted_ to kill him," Draco said darkly.

"Well yes, but this -"

"- You heard him," croaked the crazy man. "Now step aside Minister." He slowly advanced upon Lucius and Draco, who was now standing only a few feet away from his father. He withdrew a dagger from under his cloak. Roxi, being a ways away from the scene, saw it before Lucius, Draco or Rufus did. She gasped and started running towards the platform. _This can't be good, _she thought as she started pushing her way through the crowd once more.

"When Lucius Malfoy murdered my wife, he may as well have stabbed me in the heart!" The man rambled. "And now _that_ is exactly what I intend to do to him!" He brandished the dagger so that all could see it. "And now I know just how I want to go about this too!"

"Now sir, really, there is _no need _for -" Rufus began, but he was too late. The man pushed past the Minister of Magic and ran, not for Lucius, but for Draco. He plunged the dagger into Draco's chest not once, not twice, but three times before Rufus intercepted and pulled the man off of Draco.

"NO!" Roxi screamed. "Get the HELL OUT OF MY WAY!" She shouted at the people in front of her. She withdrew her wand and the crowd split in two at once. By this point, everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing and were staring at the scene unfolding up on the platform.

The crazy man broke free of the Minister's grasp and tried to make a run for it. "SECURITY! Arrest that Man, right NOW!" Rufus Scrimgeour shouted. Two Aurors surrounded the man and carried him off at once. He stood no chance of getting away.

For Draco, everything was moving in slow-motion. He was in shock. It had all happened _so fast _that his brain couldn't quite keep up for some reason. He felt lightheaded and all of a sudden, the room started spinning. He slowly moved a hand to his stomach, then withdrew it and looked down to examine it. His hand was covered in his own blood. Then he looked down at the floor, his vision fading in and out now, and already blood had spattered there as well. Gasping for air, he swayed back and forth a few times before falling onto his knees. Just as he was about to collapse, face first onto the floor, Roxi slid underneath of him just in time to catch his fall. she gently lowered Draco down the rest of the way, sobbing as she did so.

Lucius Malfoy was beside himself. Despite the incredible amount of pain he was in, he was now frantically scrambling on the ground, desperate to get to Draco. "NOOOOO," he bellowed. "THAT'S MY SON! MY SON! DRACO!!!"

There were Aurors on him in an instant, doing their best to restrain him. "Mr. Malfoy, you need to come with us now," they told him.

"No! My son, my son! I have to make sure my son is alright! DRACO!" He was doing his best to fight them off, but to no avail. One of the Aurors took out his wand and stunned Lucious with it. He quit struggling instantly and his body went limp. The Aurors then lifted him up and carried Lucius Malfoy away.

"Draco, look at me!" Roxi cried, holding his head in her lap. "You're going to be okay, I just know it! You're going to get through this." Draco was struggling to catch his breath now. He groaned and looked up at her, clearly trying to say something. "Shhh! Don't talk now, you need to save your strength. I'm going to get you some help. You're going to be okay, I promise," she said, reassuring herself as much as she was him. "WILL SOMEBODY GET ME SOME DAMN HELP OVER HERE!" She shouted at everyone in the room.

The Minister of Magic rushed over to them. "Excuse me Miss, if you will allow me." He moved to pick up Draco but Roxi would not let him.

Instead, she started standing, carefully lifting Draco off the ground as she went. "I've got him," she said.

"I said, if you'll let me -"

"And I said I'VE GOT HIM!" she snapped. "Just tell me where I need to go!"

"Right," Rufus said with a nod. "FUDGE! Get out here this instant!" Cornelius Fudge came scurrying out into the center of the platform. "Take this girl to St. Mungo's, and when you get there, you make sure that Draco gets a room at once! If they give you any rash about it because of _who _he is, you tell them that _I said _to give him a room NOW!"

"Yes, sir. As you wish, sir. Right away, sir!" said Fudge. Then the Minister leaned over and whispered something into Fudge's ear so that nobody else could hear. "And you find out what she knows, got it?"

"Absolutely, sir, you've got it!" Then he ran ahead of Roxi. "Now follow me, follow me," he commanded, leading the way. As Roxi left the room carrying Draco, his eyes slowly shut, and they saw no more…

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When Draco awoke again, he was lying in bed, shirtless, and someone was bustling over him, muttering to herself as she did so. He'd know that muttering anywhere. He slowly cracked an eye open, but the light in the room was so blindingly bright that he had to force it shut again. He had seen just enough to notice that Roxi was asleep in a chair right next to his bed. He took a deep breath, and groaned at once as he realized that this was a mistake.

The Healer's head snapped it's attention onto his face at once. "Draco," she whispered. "Are you awake?" He only groaned again in response. She sighed in relief. "Thank god! I almost thought we'd lost you this time! Don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear?"

"Turn the damn light off," was his response.

Annoyed at his reply, she went over to the window and threw the curtains shut with such force it startled Roxi out of her sleep.

"Whazzgoingon?" she muttered tiredly, rubbing her eyes. "Is he awake, Saleena?" she asked with a yawn, stretching.

"Yes," she replied. "And it's about time too!"

Roxi gasped and looked at Draco. He was smiling, in spite of himself. "Draco," she asked gently. "How do you feel."

His eyes still remaining closed, he answered sarcastically; "I fell like I just got stabbed in the gut by a crazy man, how do you think?"

Saleena rolled her eyes. "So in other words, he's fine," she said.

"Did they arrest that lunatic?" Draco asked weakly.

"Yes Draco, he is sitting in Azkaban as we speak," Saleena answered.

Draco smiled again. "Good. I outta sue that man for everything he owns, you know that?"

"Yes, Draco," Saleena answered, clearly both annoyed and bored at the same time. After all, this was nothing she hadn't heard before.

Roxi on the other hand was shocked. "Draco!" she exclaimed. "That's not very nice, you know! I've never heard you talk like this before!"

"Roxi," Saleena drawled. "Then allow me to introduce you to _the real _Draco Malfoy."

Draco's eyes shot open at once. "What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Oh look, his eyes _do _open!" she said.

"Don't you change the subject on me!" he demanded. "What, you think I should just let that bastard get away with an attempt at murder? Look at what he did to me!"

"Well you survived, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but most likely only because _you _were here!" he answered. "How did you get here so fast anyways?"

"So fast?" she repeated, blushing in spite of herself. "Draco, you've been in this hospital now for almost 2 days!"

The smirk on his face vanished at once. "What? What do you mean _2 days? _But what about my- is he, I-I mean, well… did they do it yet?"

Roxi figured out what he was talking about before Saleena, so she responded first. "We don't know, Draco. I've been keeping my eye on the news but so far, _the Prophet _hasn't said anything more about your father yet."

"Oh," said Saleena. "That. It took me a minute to figure out…" she trailed off.

"Did you hear about what they did to him?" Draco asked. "I mean, I know you weren't here and all but surely, someone must have told you by now…"

"Oh yes, I heard. Believe me, I've heard." Then Saleena smiled down at him. "I also heard about what _you_ did as well, and I must say Draco, I was quite impressed."

Draco blushed. "It was nothing, really."

"Nothing!" exclaimed Roxi. "Draco Malfoy, you were bloody brilliant! You just let them have it! I was _so _proud of you!"

Draco chuckled. "Stop it guys, seriously. You're going to give me a big head."

"HA!" exclaimed Saleena. "As if that's not something you don't have already!" Saleena and Draco shared a laugh, but Roxi was rather confused. She didn't quite yet get the way the two of the spoke to one another. Saleena seemed to understand him _very_ well, a lot more than Roxi did herself, that much was obvious. But judging by how they got on, you'd think they were siblings or something, what with the way that they quarreled back and forth.

Just then, there was a knock at the door and the Minister of Magic entered the room. "Draco, it's so nice to see that you're awake. Heard it from the portraits. I must say, it was quite a relief to hear."

"Oh, I'm sure it was Minster," he responded scathingly. "I can hardly imagine what would have happened to youif an innocent person had died, on Ministry of Magic property, at an event nonetheless, that _you_ permitted to take place. It would be scandalous indeed if the press were ever to get ahold of something like _that_, I'm sure." Roxi and Saleena were gaping at Draco, clearly stunned at how he was addressing the Minister of Magic. They both looked at Rufus, eagerly awaiting his response, and half expecting him to start shouting again.

However, Scrimgeour did not shout. Although he was clearly affronted by Draco's open speculations, he remained calm. "I daresay you're right, my boy," he replied "It was quite the fiasco, to say the least."

"Yes, quite" Draco agreed. "I _still_ can't believe you even allowed it to happen, Minister."

"Now Draco, we've been through this," Rufus replied gruffly. "It was not my idea! Your father insisted that all of those people be repaid somehow, and that was how he wanted to do it. And, well, after everything that he had said to me that night, who was I to deny him that much?"

"You're the Minister of Magic, are you not?" Draco answered coldly.

"Well, yes, Draco, I am. But that is not the point! What I'm getting at here is that your father told me things that night, things that night that not even _you_ mentioned. He also confirmed much of what you said, so I guess, as a plus side to all this, you could thank him. Because I now longer have any doubt in the fact that your story was indeed true."

"And you doubted me before?"

"Well, Draco, in my defense, you were going on and on and on about You-Know-Who befriending the Gypsies, for crying out loud! What the hell was I supposed to think?"

Draco paused for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it does sound kind of crazy," he admitted.

"Kind of? I daresay that's a bit of an understatement," the Minister chuckled. "Anyways, after hearing the same story from your father the other night, I have decided to take heed to it at last and do a bit of investigating."

"And have you found anything?" Saleena blurted, a note of worry in her voice.

Rufus eyed her suspiciously. "No. Not yet anyway," he replied. "But we will get to the bottom of this eventually. Rest assured Miss. Saleena, I will make absolute certain that everyone within my Ministry remains safe throughout the coarse of this war."

Saleena nodded slowly. "Yes. Right. Of coarse you will," she said.

"You wouldn't, uh, happen to know anything about this, now would you?" he asked.

"I know nothing sir," she said tersely.

"Dr. Nelson tells me that you have been away on leave for some time now," he said, still looking at her speculatively.

"I had family things to attend to, Minister, and I would rather not discuss it right now, if you don't mind." Her tone was blank, emotionless, tense even. Rufus sensed that Saleena was hiding something, but he questioned her no farther on the subject.

Draco took advantage of the temporary silence to ask the question he had been dying to know the answer to since the moment he first woke up. "Minister, sir, my father… What's been done with him?"

"Draco, I am terribly sorry," he said. "But that information in strictly classified. I will, however, tell you that Lucius Malfoy will never be of any bother to anybody ever again. Interpret that as you will…. Right then, I believe my time here is up. I must be getting on. Glad to see you're okay, Draco. Catch up with you later, Miss. Saleena."

"I'm sure you will," Saleena muttered, glad to see the back of him as Rufus shuffled out the door. "Humph!"

"What was _that_ all about?" Roxi inquired.

"Oh, just the Minister sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong, as usual," she said bitterly.

"I take it you don't like him," Roxi observed.

"I don't like the fact that he's _so_ interested in my personal business," Saleena corrected. "Other than that, he fine. A much better Minister thus far than Fudge ever was."

Roxi turned her attention back on to Draco. He was now staring blankly at the ceiling, his mouth hanging open. "Draco, are you okay?" she asked gently. He didn't respond. He just lay there, staring off into space. And that was the way he stayed for the remainder of the day. He wouldn't eat or drink, and Saleena couldn't even get him to snap out of it long enough to take his medicine when it came time to do so.

Finally, Saleena gave up and called in for help. She contacted the only person in the world she knew of that would be guaranteed to get a response out of Draco; Minerva McGonagall. Minerva showed up at St. Mungo's several moments later and Saleena filled her in on what was going on.

"He's just been laying like that ever since Rufus left here this morning," she said.

"Well what on earth did Rufus say to him to make him act like that?"

Saleena thought for a moment, embarrassed that she hadn't stopped to do this before now, and that's when it hit her. "Oh my god, that's it!" she exclaimed. Draco asked him what happened to Lucius, and the Minister told him that he was gone now."

"What?" McGonagall was clearly appalled to hear this. "That is absurd! Lucius Malfoy is _not_ dead! Not yet anyways. Is that what he told you?"

"In a matter of words, yes." Saleena was shocked. "But why would he lie to Draco about something like that?"

"I don't know," said Minerva crossly. "But I intend to get to the bottom of it."

Roxi placed her hand on Draco's bare arm. "Did you hear that, Draco? You're father's not dead yet, alright? Now snap out of it!"

Draco was conscience again in an instant, but not because of anything that was said. It was because he felt her touch upon his arm. His _right _arm at that_. _His bare right arm. He jerked away from her and shoved it under the blanket. "Don't touch me there," he spat, desperately hoping against all odds that she hadn't noticed anything. But who was he trying to kid? It was obvious, wasn't it? Especially if he had been laying like that for two days now. She was bound to notice something… He glared at her as if he were daring her to say anything.

"Geeze, if looks could kill I'd be dead by now, wouldn't I?" she asked sarcastically, unsure of what exactly she had done wrong.

"Anyways," Draco went on, completely ignoring her. "I heard what you said, professor. But how can you be so sure he's alive? The Minister said that was classified information."

"Well I happen to be qualified enough to be on the inner-informative circle," she said. "And it just so happens that the Minister is keeping your father in the dungeons of Hogwarts."

Draco was taken aback at this news. "What? Why not just keep him in Azkaban?"

"Because your father has already escaped from there once, and the Minister is convinced that he will try it again," she answered. "Not only that, but if he were in Azkaban, Voldemort would have access to him. We all know he has invaded there before, and he could do it again easily, if he wanted to. I imagine he's not too pleased with your father right now, and therefore Lucius is being kept at Hogwarts where Voldemort has no chance of regaining him."

"Ah, and that's why it's so classified then," Roxi stated. "Because the Ministry doesn't want Voldemort to find out where they're keeping him. That makes sense."

"Yes, but why keep something like that from me?" Draco demanded. "I'm his son! Lucius Malfoy is _my _father!"

"I was just asking myself the very same question, Draco, believe me," said McGonagall. "I am going to see Rufus and I promise, I _will _get to the bottom of this. Now you take your medicine and get yourself something to eat. I will arrange it so that you get to see your father before the deed is carried out. So you have nothing more to worry about."

"Thank you professor," Draco said sincerely, bowing his head. "I'd like that."

"Now, if we're done here, it appears I have a meeting with the Minister of Magic," she said with a wink. "I shall see you all later." Then McGonagall turned and walked out of the room, leaving silence in her wake…


	14. Atropha Rickium

~ **Atropha Rickium **~

Lucius Malfoy awoke with a start. "W-Where am I?" he asked quickly. The room was quite dark, it was difficult to make out anything. It very much reminded him of the basement at the Riddle House.

Then a man with a heavy accent answered him. "Like it matters. You're locked up an you ain't gettin' out. 'At's all ya need to know, _Death_ _Eater_," he spat.

"And who the hell are you?" Lucius demanded.

"I 'appen to be your guard for the night, unfortunately," he added bitterly. "So inless you want me to knock you out again, I suggest you shut up and don't sass me ever again."

"Wait! _You _did that to me?" Lucius glared at the man in the dark. "Do you have any idea what you - I mean, my son was…" Lucius gasped as the events at the ministry all came rushing back to him. "My son! Draco! Oh my god, is my son alright? You have to tell me! I have to know if he's okay!"

"I ain't gotta tell ya nothin' Lucius," he said snidely. "You ain't got no right to know."

"The hell you say," Lucius exclaimed. "Draco is _my son! _I am his father! I have every right to know weather or not he is alive or de-" Lucius stopped in mid-sentence. He couldn't bring himself to say the word out loud.

The guard smiled. Now he knew Lucius' weakness and he fully intended to have some fun with it. "Well I will tell ya this much, Death Eater. You'll be joinin' your precious son soon enough," he said venomously.

Lucius was almost positive that he had been hit with that spell again, for the wind seemed to be knocked out of him. His whole reality came crashing down. _You'll be joinin' your precious son soon enough! _That could only mean one thing; that Draco was dead. He hadn't survived the stabbing after all. His son was dead and it was entirely his fault. Of he had only _listened _to the Minister, maybe none of this would have happened. If he hadn't been _so_ persistent, maybe that man would have left before it was too late… Every fiber of his being had been so focused on Draco up until now, so it wasn't till then that he finally became conscientiously aware of how much pain he was in. His entire body seemed to be burning and it screamed in protest every time he breathed in too deeply, or moved ever so slightly. He was having a difficult time catching his breath because of the sharp pains it caused in his side every time he inhaled. There was nothing he could do now except lay there and wait to die. But this was what he had wanted, wasn't it? Lucius lay on the cold ground, allowing the darkness to consume him once more...

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Draco's third and final day in St. Mungo's was the day the news finally came. Room service brought him the paper, as he had requested. He snatched it up at once, eager to know what would become of his father's fate. He searched the front page at once, and didn't have to look very far. Just as the last time, the article about Lucius was front and center, only today there was a picture of Rufus Scrimgeour along with it, rather than Lucius. The heading read: **Minister Decides on Punishment for Malfoy**. It was short, and to the point, and said that Lucius was to be put to death by means of a poison in which Draco had never heard of: _Atropha Rickium. _According to the _Daily Prophet, _the Minister had chosen that particular poison because it is said to be one of the few that does not have an antidote. Draco frowned in disapproval. As much as he had been yearning to learn his father's fate, now that he had all the answers, he thought he was better off not knowing. He threw the paper down furiously.

Roxi and Saleena had both decided that it would be within their own best interests to just let Draco have the paper first. So, once he appeared to be finished with it, Roxi cautiously bent down to pick it up. Judging by Draco reaction, and the way his demeanor appeared now, Lucius' sentence had at last been finalized. Curious to know what it was, she scanned the front page and froze.

After a few minutes had past and Roxi still hadn't moved, Saleena spoke up. "Are you done with that yet?" Roxi was still in a trance-like state and therefore didn't answer. "Roxi? Hello? Are you okay?" Saleena waved a hand in front of Roxi's face but she didn't even blink. She just stood there, staring blankly off into space a look of pure terror etched on her face. Saleena looked from Roxi to Draco, who was now sitting on the bed with his arms crossed, staring moodily out the window. She surveyed both of their odd behaviors and thought to herself, _surely whatever they have decided to do to Lucius can't be all _that _bad. _Then she carefully removed the _Prophet _from Roxi's seemingly petrified hands. Her arms remained held in out, as if she were still holding up the paper, even after Saleena had taken it from her. Saleena glanced over the article and, just as she had expected, it wasn't _that _bad really. So then, why were they both freaking out lie this then? It was then that Saleena decided to try out her newfound powers for the first time since finishing her training.

Saleena no longer needed to make contact with the target to make her abilities work, all she needed was a clear view of the person. So she turned to Draco, searching his head first, but he wasn't remembering anything at the moment. _He must be thinking then, _Saleena concluded, a tad bit disappointed. She couldn't read thoughts, her powers weren't _that _faradvanced. All she could read were people's memories… Hoping to have better luck with Roxi, she turned to face her. No sooner had Saleena gotten inside her mind, she realized at once that Roxi _was _remembering something fro the past. Three days ago, to be exact.

Being the trained Auror that she was, Roxi identified almost immediately that somebody else was in her head. This snapped her out of her trace and she began trying to clear her mind at once. She could not, however bring herself to _stop _thinking about her conversation with Fudge the night they brought Draco to St. Mungo's. As she tried to clear her mind again, she heard Saleena's voice ringing in the back of her head. _'What did you say to him?' _it demanded. Roxi thought for a moment that she was going crazy. She looked up to face Saleena only to receive another shock. Saleena was staring right at her with an unblinking, all-knowing gaze. As Roxi stared back, she still couldn't bring herself to clear that memory from her mind. No matter how hard she tried, it remained right there, on the surface of her brain. And she now found herself remembering the full conversation in great detail…

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"Well then, well then," said Fudge after the Healer's had taken Draco away to find him a room. "While we're waiting, let's say we get to know one another a little bit better, shall we?"

"Um…" said Roxi, feeling slightly uneasy, but sitting down in the chair next to Fudge anyways. "Okay."

"Right. So, you're an Auror, correct?" Roxi nodded. "And a fairly good one, I'll wager, once your trained up properly and all. I also hear that you're a Metamorphmagus as well."

"Well then you must be very well informed," she stated.

"Well, being the personal secretary for the Minister of Magic _does _have it's advantages," he replied. "However, it is of coarse nothing compared to actually _being _minister."

"Oh, that's right," she exclaimed. "I nearly forgot that _you _were the Minister of Magic before Mr. Scrimgeour was. It wasn't' too long ago that you got fired, was it?"

Fudge frowned. "No, I'm afraid it wasn't too long ago indeed. But enough about me, dear. It's _you _that I'm interested in, being from America and all. Tell me, what's it like over there?"

"Um… Well it's great actually. I'm from the State of California, so it's sunny like _all _the time! I used to go to the beach a lot with my friends, before my dad got sick and all."

"Yes, yes, tragic that." But Fudge was obviously not concerned, he was just eager to move on to the _next_ part of the conversation, the part he had been leading up to from the start. "So Roxi, are you any good at potion-making?"

"Well, ex-minister, I don't like to brag," she chuckled. "But, yes! One might say that I am indeed rather good at potion-making."

"Excellent, excellent," he said, moving on. "And what about poison and antidote brewing?" Of coarse, he already knew from her resume that she was a novice at brewing deadly concoctions. That was partially why the Ministry was so keen to have her originally.

Again, she smiled brightly. "Okay, well, I'm not going to feel at all guilty for bragging about this one! Because you see, when it comes to poisons, I happen to be a bit of a… shall we say; _Master? _I was praised back him for my ability to brew the most deadly of poisons! It's always just been somewhat of a hobby for me though, not something I'd enjoy doing for work. I'm not big into using them to kill anyone, you see. I mostly just make them because I enjoy a challenge every now and then."

"Fascinating," he said, 100% interested in every word she was saying now. "Well now, I know we have quite a few regulations on poisons here, but what types of regulations do they have on the matter in your country?"

"Oh yes," she replied. "for example, we have this one poison in particular that is extremely, strictly, and entirely _forbidden. _No one is allowed to even threaten making it without reprimand, it's _that_ bad."

"Oh really? And what's it called, if I may ask."

"Oh no, you're fine, ex-minister," she gestured. "I can speak the name of it! I don't believe it is illegal here _yet_. The name of it is called: _Atropha Rickium."_

"Atropha Rickium?" Fudge repeated. "Hmmm… Can't say that I've ever heard of that one. It's a poison you say?"

"Oh yes, and a highly dangerous one at that," she said, getting more and more excited. "And it comes as no surprise that you haven't heard of it yet. It was only created some 10 years ago. It was made in the states, you see, buy an awful wizard who was infamous for creating dangerous things. I was a lot younger when he was at large tho, so I don't know too much about him. His name was Dedrick Cyrus. But he's long dead now, and all of his creations have been strictly forbidden by the Magical Community Government; or the MCG for short."

"And what happens to those who are caught in possession of this Atropha Rickium, in your country?"

"Well, seeing how as the sort a people who usually have something like _that _lying about are never really any good, they are automatically out in jail," she explained. "Our leaders don't take too kindly to anyone who breaks the law.

"And this man, this Dedrick Cyrus you speak of, how is that he died?"

"Oh, it's quite amusing really," she said, cracking a smile. "He died during an experiment gone wrong, you see. He was trying to invent some new, and most likely evil, kind of potion and it just blew up. Exploded the whole house, burning everything within it, himself included."

"He blew up?" Fudge repeated.

"Yes," she confirmed. "He may have been evil, but he wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, sir, if you know what I mean. he had lots of knowledge, but not a lick of common sense. He was nothing in comparison to Lord Voldemort."

Fudge winced as she spoke the name. "Forgive me," he said. "I forget you're new here, so of coarse you have no reason yet to fear his name like we do."

Roxi shrugged. "It's just a name. I don't know why you people freak out so much every time you hear it. It's all a bit silly if you ask me."

"Right," he muttered. "So, back to this Atropha Rickium thing; why exactly did your leaders put a ban on it? Is it just because it was invented by Dedrick Cyrus, or is there more to it than that"

"Oh there's _way _more to it, ex-minister Fudge!" she exclaimed. "Way more to it indeed. Atropha Rickium is by far the most dangerous, most lethal poison I have ever seen or heard of! It's a horrible way for someone to have to die, as it slowly kills you from the inside out. And it doesn't take much to do so, as it is so potent. In fact, let's say you were brewing some and you had a cut on you finger, and say some of it splashed into that cut, it would kill you. _That's _how powerful it is!" Roxi was speaking fondly, and with great passion now. It couldn't have been more obvious that she took pride in being so knowledgeable about this most dangerous little poison.

"And it's a slow death at that," she continued. "I head of cases in which the minimum amount of time it took to kill someone was a day; the longest: an entire week. It usually depends on the age and body stature of the person being forced to drink it, for I daresay that anyone would take it of their own free will!"

"Well good heavens" exclaimed Fudge. "If someone were suffering from it for an entire week, why weren't they given an antidote? There was clearly sufficient enough time."

Roxi flashed a most devious smile. "Well that's just the thing, ex-minister. There is no antidote. Well, not exactly anyways… I mean, there is, but it's nearly impossible to make. That's partially another reason why Atropha Rickium is so dangerous."

"But how is it impossible to make? I don't understand…"

"Well, for starters, you have to have all 5 of the main ingredients. And that alone is a challenge in and of itself right there! They are all very expensive and incredibly rare. You cant even find all 5 in one country, that's how rare they are! And it is necessary to have all 5 in order to make the antidote. Not only that, but it had to be brewed at a certain time of day, and you cant even start brewing it until after the victim has taken it, because it has to be given while it's still fresh. This of coarse means that if, say you had been given a dose of Atropha Rickium, and it were possible to make an antidote for you, you would still have to suffer for at least up to 12 hours whit it was being made. I believe that Dedrick created that way to ensure that damage would be caused, no matter what. So I think it's safe to say that the chances of a person surviving, after coming into contact with Atropha Rickium, are altogether not very good."

Then Fudge flashed a rather devious smile himself, though Roxi did not see it. Her attention was now focused on the Healer who had just arrived to inform her that Draco had been placed in a room and she could now go to rejoin him. She bade Fudge farewell and headed off to see Draco, while he headed back to the Ministry, a rather smug look was etched upon his face…

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After the memory was over, Saleena quickly withdrew herself from Roxi's mind, shocked by what she had just seen. Roxi felt the immediate disconnection and was finally able to clear her mind completely. She eyed Saleena suspiciously, and she wasn't the only one doing so. Roxi noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that Draco was now staring back and forth between the pair of them as well.

"Well then, do you want to tell him, or should I?" Saleena asked. It was obvious by her tone that she was furious.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Roxi answered, still trying to figure out what had just happened. "I-I mean, I don't even know what - wait a minute! Did you just…?" Roxi was still eyeing Saleena with her head tilted off to one side, her mouth hanging slightly open, deep in thought. "I must be going crazy," she finally decided, thinking out loud.

Saleena smiled and shook her head. "You're not crazy," she assured. "I saw everything. I know what you've done!"

"What do you mean, _you saw everything? _What, are you some kind of master Legilamens or something?"

"No," she said honestly. "Not quite. On the contrary, I am terribly at Legilamency. Never really saw the use for learning because I never have really had the need for it. I don't need Legilamency to get inside people's heads."

Roxi's jaw dropped in shock. "What the hell _are _you?" she asked.

"What ever do you mean?" Saleena asked lightly.

"You - I heard you! You were talking to me, _in my head! _How is that possible?"

"Oh Roxi, I'm so sorry," said Draco, butting in. "Did no one tell you? Saleena here is a Gypsy. Surely someone might have mentioned -"

"- Draco, what the hell are you doing?" Saleena spat, turning on him.

"It's okay, Saleena, she's trustworthy," said Draco, reassuringly. Roxi smiled, brimming with happiness, despite all the current shock and confusion. Draco Malfoy thought _she _was trustworthy! Her mind was temporarily removed from the conversation as Draco and Saleena argued back and forth.

"It doesn't matter, you don't just go around announcing something like that!"

"Well it's not like it'll mean anything to her! She isn't even from here, Saleena," Draco retaliated. "For all we know, the term _Gypsy _could mean something totally different to her. So pipe down, would you!"

"I will not _pipe down!" _Saleena roared. "Weather she knows the history behind it or not, Draco, what's going to happen if she _wants _to know more? What if she starts going around and asking people about the Gypsies, hu? What then?"

"She won't," Draco replied forcefully.

His insistence seemed to pull her out of her own revere. She snapped her attention back onto the pair of them and reinforced Draco last statement at once. "I won't say anything. But he's right, Gypsy isn't a bad term from where I'm from. I don't know why it would be here."

"It's because the Gypsies are an ancient group of snide, selfish, inconsiderate witches who can do wandless magic, and are exceptionally skilled in the divine arts, therefore they hold themselves above everybody else in the world," Saleena retorted in one breath. "They are audaciously conceited. They hate, they lie, they steal, and they regard themselves as better than men. All Gypsies are female, you see. They view men as nothing more than breeding tools. Here within our Ministry, Gypsies Clans were banned a very long time ago, after a terrible war. Not very many survived, due to their arrogance, and the ones who did went into hiding after the war was over. Gypsies are regarded around her much like the Death Eaters are. They are looked down upon and hated without regard."

"And there you have it," said Draco to Roxi after Saleena had finished her rant.

"Wow," she said slowly. "To me, _Gypsy _is just another name for a fortune-teller."

"HA!" Saleena remarked bitterly. "I am most definitely _not _a fortune-teller, I can tell you that right now! That is, I cannot see into the future. I only see into the past. I have the ability to relive that which has already happened with any person, at anytime of my choosing."

"Well that doesn't seem very useful, does it?" Roxi criticized.

"Not very useful, you say?" Saleena looked at Roxi skeptically. "I'd say it happened to come in _very _useful just now, wouldn't you? I just saw _everything_ you told Fudge, didn't I?"

Roxi's face sank in fear. Draco looked from Roxi to Saleena, confused. "Saleena, I don't understand… you didn't eve touch her. How did you…?"

"I don't _need_ to make skin-contact anymore, Draco," she explained. "You see, I learned while I was away. All I need now is eye-contact and, once I have, it is nearly impossible to look away, as Roxi here has just discovered. I can make people remember anything I want them to simply by asking the question: _what happened? _It's quite convenient actually."

"So it's like the Dementors then, what you can do," stated Draco.

"Well no, not exactly… But yeah, something like it, I guess..."

"So, you mean to say," Roxi said fretfully. "That you just watched… You just saw…"

"That entire conversation?" Saleena finished. "Yes. Yes I did. And it was much like watching a movie."

"Alright you two, what's going on?" Draco demanded.

"She _knows_ something about all this, Draco," Saleena stated simply.

Draco looked at Roxi. "Like what?"

Then Saleena asked Roxi for the second time, "do you want to tell him, or should I?"

"I… I," muttered Roxi. But the reality of what she had unintentionally done was just too much for her to handle anymore. Guilt and shame washed over her and she began to sob uncontrollably. She buried her face in her hands, unable to look Draco in the eyes as she confessed. "I'm so sorry Draco! This is all - all my fault! It was me - I told Fudge about the Atropha Rickium. I-I didn't know he would tell - didn't know they would _use _it! How could I? I just thought he was being curious. I never expected… never meant to betray…" but she trailed off there, unable to say anymore.

Over Roxi's sobs, Saleena quickly recounted what Atropha Rickium was, and what it does, to Draco. She told him what she had learned from the memory about how painful it was said to be, and how complex and impossible the antidote was to obtain. As she talked, Draco listened intently, stony-faced and quiet. When she had finished, he was very still.

Was it not enough to know that his father was going to die? Now he had to bear the knowledge that Lucius was going to suffer immensely in the process, and that there was _no_ way out of it this time... "Of coarse, that'll be the reason the Minister chose _that_ poison," he said, thinking out loud. "Because there basically is no antidote…"

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Later that evening, Draco was released from St. Mungo's and taken back to the Burrow. As soon as he was there, safe an sound, Saleena went directly to Hogwarts, on McGonagall's orders. Now that Draco had been attended to, it was time for her to turn her full attention to Lucius. Despite whatever objections the Minister of Magic may have had, Minerva McGonagall ignored them all and demanded that Saleena get Lucius into decent enough condition for his meeting with Draco. For, at the moment, he was in no shape to have any visitors.

Just as they had done with Draco, the ministry had convinced Lucius Malfoy that his son was dead. So, when Saleena got down there, he appeared to have given up on survival. He was just laying there in a heap on the floor, nearly dean when she arrived. But after assuring Lucius several times that Draco was indeed still alive, he was more than willing to cooperate with her. Finding out that his son wasn't dead seemed to have breathed new life into Lucius, and he was a lot more keen to get better after that. Saleena worked hard throughout the night in order to heal most of Lucius' injuries before morning. It was a long, hard, tedious task. But a task, no less, that was finally finished at around 9:00 in the morning. Exhausted, Saleena clambered up the stairs to tell McGonagall that it was done. Lucius was only alone in the dungeon for about an hour, which gave him plenty of time to think over what he was going to say to Draco when he got there. He knew that he would only have 1 hour. 1 Hour to say he was sorry. 1 Hour to explain everything that he never go the chance to. 1 hour to say goodbye…

At precisely 10:00am, Minerva McGonagall came down, followed closely by Draco. As she had done before with Saleena, she unlocked the cell, let Draco in, and then left them alone. But before she left, she reminded them both, again, of their allotted time. And once they were alone, there was total silence between the last two remaining Malfoys. Lucius was staring at his son, Draco was staring at the ground. He was doing everything he could to avoid what he knew would be his father's disapproving gaze.

After a time, Lucius couldn't stand it anymore. "Draco," he began, as tears started to roll down his cheeks. "That night at the ministry, you were -"

"I know Dad," Draco cut in. "I was out of line. I never should said _any_ of that. Especially not in public. You don't even have to tell me, because I already know exactly what you're going to say! It's always the same old thing with you, when it comes to expressing your feelings. I know you're probably embarrassed and extremely disappointed in me. But do you know what? I don't care anymore! I am _done _trying to please you!"

Lucius was stunned. "Draco I-I wasn't going to say anything like that at all," he said. "I wasn't embarrassed or disappointed in you for speaking your mind. On the contrary, my son, I have never been more proud of you!"

"But I…" Draco looked up, for the very first time, and finally met his father's gaze. It was not the usual disapproving look he had been expecting. Instead, Lucius' expression was a mixture of relief, regret, grief, depression, pain, sorrow and happiness, all combined at once. "…I thought that you said that emotions were week, and that you should never show them off in public, because then people will start to take advantage of you."

"Draco, look at me right now," he said, indicating to the tears on his face. "Do I look as though I am in such a position to make a claim like that? Ever since your mother died, I have seen things, well, differently. I realize now how wrong I was when I taught you all of that. What you said, that night at the Ministry, was completely brilliant, and I cannot thank you enough for standing up for me. You have no idea how much that meant to me, my son. And then when that idiot stabbed you on my account…" Lucius trailed off with a sigh.

"Dad, it wasn't your fault that happened," said Draco, reassuringly. "No one could have predicted that he would do something like that. It wasn't your fault."

"It _was _though, Draco," said Lucius. "Because the entire thing was my idea to begin with. That man was there that night because of me. He stabbed you because he wanted to hurt me, a feat in which he succeeded. I was frantic!"

Draco smiled a bit. "Yeah, I remember you freaking out."

Lucius chuckled. "Not my best moment, I can tell you that. I was in a lot more pain the next day for it. But how did you expect me to react? Especially after watching my wife die right before my eyes, and then seeing my only son get stabbed, the whole time knowing that there was nothing I could do to save you. I thought you were _dead _Draco!"

"Saleena says I would have been if she wouldn't have come back," Draco added softly. "Apparently there was something on the blade he used, some kind of dark magic, I don't know, I cant remember. All I know is how much it hurt like hell when I woke up, two days later. Thank god Saleena knew what to do though, otherwise…" Draco shuddered.

And then there was silence between them again, until at last Draco asked, "So have you heard what they were planning to do to you next?"

Lucius sighed. "Yes, I've heard. Poison. Apparently they're making it right now."

Draco paused. "Are you scared?"

"Not hardly," Lucius said, jerking his head. "I mean, I've never heard of it, Atropha whatever. But it cant possibly be any worse that anything I've already been through, can it?"

"Actually dad," Draco swallowed past the lump in his throat. "You probably should be. Because, from what I've heard, it's a very painful way to die. Roxi said that it's a long, drawn out process. And apparently the only known antidote is nearly impossible to obtain."

"That's lovely," Lucius said impassively. "Just great."

Apparently his father's lack of emotion for the fact that he was about to leave this world forever was all Draco needed to snap. "You don't even care do you? You're about to die a horrible, painful death, and you could care less! It's like it doesn't even matter to you that you're about to be murdered. _Why _Dad? Why don't you care? Do you have any idea what all this is doing to me? I can't deal with it! I cant stand it! I don't want to be the only one. I don't want to be alone. I don't hate you and I don't want you to die! And yet, _you_ don't even care!"

Lucius' eyes widened in surprise. "Draco, I do so care. It's just that there is nothing I can do about it. What's done is done. There is no going back now."

"Why did you do it, father? Why did you even turn yourself in to begin with?" Draco inquired. "None of this would be happening right now of you hadn't done that!"

"Yes it would, Draco. Don't you get it? The Dark Lord was trying to kill me!"

"So you ran away? Since when have you been a coward!"

"I'm NOT," Lucius yelled. "You know I'm not a coward, and you know better than to talk to me like that." Draco flinched, more out of habit than out of fear, at the sound of his father's reprimanding voice. "I left because he was torturing me for information," Lucius continued. "Information that I knew I must not let him have."

"Like what?" Draco demanded.

"Like how I helped Roxi escape in order to prevent you from having to go back there to rescue her," answered Lucius. "I can't have him knowing where that secret passageway is! He'd kill me for sure if he knew that I'd been keeping something like that from him all this time." Lucius paused to catch his breath as a sharp pain erupted in his side. Saleena may have healed him last night, but he was still very weak and very much in pain. "Listen, Draco," he pressed on. "We have very limited time here, so lets move on. We have much more important things to discuss than the reason I am here right now. I'm sure you have other questions…"

"You bet I do," he snapped. "Like why, dad, did you lie to me my entire life? Sure, Roxi said that it was to keep information from Voldemort. But that still doesn't explain why you never me that you _gave_ me to him the day I was born! You cant have been keeping _that _bit of info from the Dark Lord because, obviously, he already knew about it! So why did you never bother to mention it? And DON'T tell me that you never had the chance to, because there were plenty of chances! All those times when were at the dinner table, you could have said, 'oh and hey, by the was, I gave you to Voldemort when you were a baby!' Or when we went for walks together in the park or something, you could have said 'hey Draco, did you know that I gave you to Voldemort the day you were born?' Or even when you put me on the train and sent me off to Hogwarts all those times, you could have said it then, but you never did!"

"Alright, I get it!" Lucius barked. "I understand that you're upset. You have every right to be! But what you must understand, Draco is that I made an unbreakable vow! I told the Dark Lord that I would train you as he commanded and not bring it up to you until you were ready. Your mother and I were waiting for the right time, you see. We had it all planned… You know the room at the end of the hall on the third floor of the Manor?"

"The one you and mum sealed shut and forbid me to ever enter?"

"Yes, that one," Lucius confirmed. "And there is a good reason your Mother and I banned you from that room. You see, 20 years ago, that room was used as the master bedroom. That room, Draco, was the very room you were born in. We never cleaned it up properly, after that night… I'm sure there are still traces of blood in there…" he trailed off for a moment as the memories he had been suppressing for so long made their way back to the surface again. "Anyhow, we both decided that it would be best to just seal off the room and never go back in again. However, like I said, I had this all planned out. I was going to unseal the door and take you in there on your 16th birthday; a year before you became a man and passed from my custody and into Voldemort's. And in there, I was going to tell you everything. I was going to make absolute certain that you were ready. Personally see to it that you were fully ready and understood all the implications that went along with the Vows I made with the Dark Lord when you were born. That was the plan anyways. But then, as you know, I got captured by the ministry and sent to Azkaban at the end of your 5th year of school. After that, your mother couldn't face telling you. It was way too much for her to deal with, and besides, it was my responsibility to do it, not hers. I was the one who made the Vow with the Dark Lord. So on the day that you became a man, the day of you 17th birthday, Voldemort had full power over you and you knew nothing about it. You thought that you were _choosing_ to join him, but in really, you had no choice in the matter at all. And that's how Voldemort wanted it. He wanted you to be kept in the dark about all of this, that way he could easily manipulate you. HA!" Lucius laughed. "A lot of good _that _did him! Look where you ended up!"

"I…" Draco began in a daze. "I still don't understand though. Why did you even have to make an Unbreakable Vow with him in the first place?"

"Well you see, Draco," answered Lucius. "There are a lot of very crucial things that the Dark Lord left out of this story the night he told it to you."

"Oh, really? Like what?"

"Like the fact that he was about to kill you, for starters," Lucius shot back. "Voldemort found out that your mother was pregnant with you, he was furious. We didn't have his permission, you see, to have any children."

"You needed to have his _permission?" _

"Yeah, we did. I even had to get his permission to marry your mother, but that is neither here nor there. The point is; I asked him and he specifically said no. Therefore you can imagine our surprise when, three months after our honeymoon, we found out we were going to have a baby. Voldemort was furious! He almost killed both you and your mother in his rage. But what he decided to do next, however, was far worse. He made Narcissa carry you for the full 9 months and then, deliver you naturally. He told us then that he was going to wait to kill you as soon as you were born. And then, he promised to _fix_ _it_ so that 'Cissy and I could never have any children ever again… Your poor mother was beside herself, the entire time. We both were."

"Is that why she tried to… you know?"

"Yes," Lucius confirmed. "Narcissa couldn't live with the fact that the Dark Lord was planning to kill you, therefore, she tried to do it herself. It wasn't because she didn't _want_ you that your mother tried to make herself miscarry you. It was simply because she did not want _his _filthy hands to get ahold of you. We didn't want to give him that kind of pleasure… She was, however, obviously unsuccessful in every attempt. And when the time came for you to be born, naturally he was there in the room, just waiting to snatch you away from us the moment you were born. He tore you away from your mother and held you up in the air, then he announced that we'd had a baby boy. And when he laid you down on the floor, and pointed his wand at you, well… What the hell was I supposed to do? I panicked! I began to plead with the Dark Lord to spare you. I fed him this crazy story about him not having any children of his own, and told him that he could have you if he would just spare you. I was only desperately ranting. Never once, in a million years, did I think that it would actually work… that is, until it did. The Dark Lord actually bought it, _all _ofit,and he decided not to kill you. However, there was a catch."

"Isn't there always with him?"

Lucius chuckled darkly. "Yes, that there is. Voldemort mad me swear that I would train you in the ways of the Death Eater. Made me promise that, by the time you became a man, you would know all that there was to know. He wanted me to force his beliefs and opinions on you, even the ones I myself do not agree with. And _that, _my son, is why I was always so hard on you. I made an Unbreakable Vow to Voldemort that I would make you evil. You see, you were meant to be sort of like his apprentice, if you will. The Dark Lord was going to use you as his heir. He was going to tell you all of his secrets and teach you all kinds of advanced Dark Magic when you got older… Yes, he had many, many plans for you my son. Why else do you suppose he is so desperate to have you back? Why else do you think he is so angry at you for you choosing a different path? It is because he _wants _you, Draco. More than you know…"

It was a moment before Draco said anything. "So," he began. "Let me get this straight… You made an Unbreakable Vow, at the spur of the moment, in order to stop the Dark Lord from killing me. And, in that Vow, you swore that one day I would be his heir? _That _is the reason you put me through hell and back growing up? This is your excuse?"

"Draco, it's no excuse, it is the honest truth," insisted Lucius. "Why would I make something like that up? I could not lie to you about something like this! Everything that the Dark Lord told you _that night, _nowthat was all lies. He twisted the story around to put himself in a higher light, and made me out to be the bad guy. When, really, it was the complete opposite way around! You _must _believe me, Draco."

"I don't know what to believe anymore," he said softly. Draco was staring at his father with such intensity that Lucius thought he might explode again at any moment. "My whole life, you've lied to me. You've always put the Dark Lord on a higher pedestal than your own family. How could you do that to me? How could you do that to my mother, _your_ wife? Why did you have to put us through that?"

"Draco, I toldyou," said Lucius. "I made an Unbreakable Vow with Voldemort. I mean, did you _want_ to grow up without a father? Because that is what would have happened, had I not obeyed the Dark Lord's orders. I would have died, Draco, _died! _Is that what you want?"

"Have I not already made it clear enough to you that I _don't _want to see you dead?" he snapped. "It was bad enough, watching mum -" Draco broke off in mid-sentence, chocking on the tears he had been trying so desperately to hold back. He was crying. Again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Quickly, he turned his face away from his father's glare and did his best to pull himself together. Hopefully Lucius hadn't noticed. The last thing Draco wanted was another lecture on acting weak.

"You don't have to hide, Draco."

"What?" If Lucius hadn't been the only other person in the room with him, Draco might have believed that somebody else was talking. Stunned, he slowly turned back to face his father, with fresh tears still shining on his cheeks.

"You heard me," he answered. "You don't have to be ashamed, my son. I know this is an emotional time, for both of us."

"But I thought you always said -"

"Oh, the devil with everything I've always said!" Lucius exclaimed. "None of it was what I wanted for you. _None of it! _You are my only child, Draco, and I l-lo- I… well I-I really care about you."

Draco chuckled hauntingly. "I cant believe it! Even after all this time, after all we've been through; what we're going through right now even, and you _still_ cant say it."

"You wouldn't understand, son. It has nothing to do with you. Its just… it's just how I was raised, that's all."

"Oh no father," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "I wouldn't understand at all! After all, I mean when you think of how _I _was raised…"

For one tense moment, the two of them just glared at one another. "Look, just because I may not _say _it, that doesn't make it untrue. And you cannot use the fact that I never said it to you, out loud, as an excuse to do the same yourself."

"What the hell are you on about, father?"

"Draco, Draco, I've seen the way she talks about you, that Roxi. She is a nice girl and I believe that it's obvious she cares a lot about you."

"That's not possible, she hardly even knows me," he responded shortly.

"Well, for not knowing you all too well, she certainly spoke very highly the night we first met in the Riddle House basement. Not only that, but you did not see the way she reacted that night you got stabbed. But I did, and trust me, there is more there than what shows up on the surface." Lucius paused to allow his words to sink in. "And even though you just met, you do care about her, don't you?"

"Dad, I don't know her," he said again. "And why the hell do you even care anyways?"

"Draco, I just want you to be happy," he said. "And I don't want everything you've been through to effect the way you l-lo… well, _care_ about other people."

"I'm sorry," said Draco mockingly. "But I'm not quite so sure I understand what you mean, father."

"Well, Draco," Lucius began. "Do you remember all of those times I called you weak, stupid, worthless, and said that you would never amount to anything, and claimed that -"

"- Alright, alright, I get it!" Draco snapped, cutting Lucius off. "And, it's kind of hard to forget stuff like that, after hearing it your whole life! What's your point?"

"My point, Draco, is that maybe being all those things isn't such a bad thing," he answered calmly. "When I said all those horrible things to you, it was because you weren't succeeding at your Death Eater training; the training that Voldemort forced me to impose upon you. I was frustrated with you mainly for my own selfish reasons. I was worried what the Dark Lord would say and do to me if you didn't come out right. But think about it! How is you not being evil enough such a bad thing?"

"Oh, so now you're making excuses for your bad parenting and -"

"-Draco, I am _not _trying to make excuses here!" Lucius exclaimed. "That's the complete opposite of what I'm doing, because what I'm trying to say here is that I may have been wrong!"

"May have been?" Draco asked skeptically.

"Alright, I was wrong!" Lucius corrected. "You aren't worthless, you certainly aren't weak, and you are more of a man than I could ever hope to be. You _will _amount to something in the end, Draco, and I know it will be something great and _not_ evil."

Draco shook his head. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Because," Lucius stated simply. "There is good in you, my son… It's a trait you've most definitely inherited from your mother, and definitely not from me. Narcissa wasn't always so cold and dark. No, she was warm and bright when I met her. I fear that marrying me may have been her undoing. But nonetheless, she was more committed to me that I could have ever dreamed. When the Dark Lord came into the picture, I urged your mother to go, to move on. But she would not leave my side for nothing. As the years went on, and my missions with Voldemort became darker, she became more distant. Her light sortta went out, and she lost the warmth and glow of her younger years. She became cold and distant. We both did as we became entangled in webs of lies and deceit after the Dark Lord's fall. The only good thing we had left to us was you, and even that, we knew, could not last forever. All she ever wanted was for you to be happy. She didn't want you having no part in our mistakes. I however, was bound by the Unbreakable Vow to force the Dark Arts on you. And that's why we were always fighting, your mother and I. She never fully understood why I did the things I did to you after we both believed Voldemort to be finished. But something inside of me _knew _that he was still out there somewhere, and that he would return one day. Thoughts like that though made your mother think that I was crazy and obsessed."

Lucius shook his head slowly. "How wrong she was… I was _not _obsessed, I was merely concerned for your well-being. But look at you now, Draco. You've withstood everything I put you through, and all the Dark Lord has done to you, on top of that. Yet you still have no desire to be a Death Eater. You are not consumed by power, as I once was. Do you have any idea how _proud_ that makes me? It has always been a bit of a weakness in our family, power has. My grandfather, my father, even myself have all succumbed to its alluring prowess. Buy you… you seem unaffected by it, and you want nothing to do with it. I always thought that was a weakness in you, you see, because I was blinded by greed. But now I realize that your ability to turn down power, especially when it is right within your reach, is one of your greatest strengths, my son. Do you have any idea the power that would have been given to you, had you joined Voldemort and agreed to become his protégé? But you said no. You turned it all away."

"Which I still don't get how I was able to do," said Draco. "You said that I was supposed to belong to him once I turned 17. So how is it that I was able to just leave, especially when I have the Mark?"

Lucius smirked mirthlessly. "Just as when he forgot about love shields the night he killed the Potters and tried to kill Harry, the same has happened here. The Dark Lord is highly flawed in his own arrogance. Once more, he failed to see what sort of consequences might emerge out of his inapt ability to react irrationally. You see, Draco, the Dark Mark is an eternally binding, dark magical contract, in which you basically must surrender your soul to the Dark Lord. When taking on the Dark Mark, vows must be stated, oaths must be made. Once you have taken it, there is no going back. Death-Eatership is meant to be a _choice. _You on the other hand was never given that choice. He forced it on you the day you were born and left me the task of training you because he had no time to deal with useless, drooling babies - his words, not mine… Anyhow, when he blasted the Mark on you, you couldn't possibly take any oaths, make any vows, or swear your allegiance to him; you were a baby! Therefore, the day you turned 17; or otherwise, the day you officially became eligible to make your own decisions, whatever hold he may have had over you, by the Dark Mark on your arm, _vanished_. Now, had you chosen to be a Death Eater and really, truly wanted it, then the outcome may have been different. However, you've known since you were little that this lifestyle is not what you have wanted. You only went along with it because you wanted my approval and you wanted me to be proud to call you my son. You were trying too hard to live up to your name, am I right?"

Draco said nothing, but nodded his head in agreement. He couldn't believe that he was finally getting answers out of his father, after all this time, and was afraid that if he spoke up now, Lucius might realize what he was doing and decide to stop.

But Lucius pressed onward. "So when you came of age, Voldemort took you in under the assumption that he now owned you. Never once did it cross his thick skull that you may have the ability to decide for yourself now. No, he just assumed that you were his since he had forced the Mark on you such a long time ago. But it didn't take very long for him to realize that your heart was not fully in it. Once he came to that realization, only then did it dawn on him to ask you what _you _really wanted. Which I assume was the point in which you told him that you did not want to be a Death Eater. Which was, in turn, the moment he made you his captive and started tormenting you. Again, he was still under the impression that he owned you, despite your unwillingness to cooperate. Even now, I don't think he realizes that he has no power over you."

"But why is that," asked Draco, speaking up at last. "How can he not have power over me? I have the Mark."

"Yes, you have the mark," Lucius Restated. "But it is not the traditional Dark Mark, Draco. And he _did_ have power over you, up until you decided not to give it to him anymore. Your decision to _not_ be a Death Eater canceled out his claim over you. And, before that, you only did whatever he told you out of fear and not out of want, am I right?"

"Of coarse I did!" Draco shot. "He was threatening to torture mum and kill me if I didn't do it! You honestly think I _wanted_ the task of killing Dumbledore, or that I took pleasure out of torturing all those mudbloods into insanity, or to kill that little muggle girl? Hell no, I never wanted to do any of that! I only did it because I _had _to."

"Exactly!" shouted Lucius. "It is important for you to understand, Draco, that even though you were choosing to obey him, you were not choosing to follow him. You did whatever he told you because you had to in order to survive, not because it was something you wanted to do! _That _is why you have the power, the ability, to walk away. That's why every time the Mark burns, summoning us back, you can no longer feel it. And it is the very reason that you aren't dead right now for leaving the circle. You are not eternally bound to Voldemort like I am, like the rest of us are. He thinks you are, but you are not. And the reason for that is simply because you have chosen not to be. The reason you chose that is, in short, because you are _not _evil. You see now, the Dark Lord views you as _the one that got away. _He doesn't know yet that it was his own fault you're free to choose your own way. All his thought right now is bent on capturing you and punishing you for leaving. He wants you almost as much as he wants Harry Potter, and that's saying something."

Draco mulled over everything in his head. It was almost too much for him to believe. Too much to handle all at once. A part of him wanted to believe that it was all a lie, nothing but excuses. But at the same time, he knew deep down, that for the first time in his life, his father wasn't lying. For one thing, Lucius wasn't clever enough to come up with something like that all on his own. And for another, it all made sense. Between everything he had heard from Voldemort, Roxi, and now his father, everything fit together perfectly.

After Draco was silent for a while, Lucius added; "Draco, I cannot apologize enough for all that I have put you through. Up until I heard everything you said the other night at the Ministry, I didn't realize how bad I'd hurt you. I hope you know that I am not proud of what I have done. I really only have ever had your best interests at heart. I tell you now, the day I took on the Mark is the day I regret the most. If I could only go back, do it over again, I can assure you I would never have joined Lord Voldemort."

"I know that." Draco was practically whispering now. "Roxi told me. She already told me everything dad."

"And you believed her, right?"

"Of coarse I did, dad, she came back with mom's wand! What, are you gonna say next that she was lying?"

"No," Lucius exclaimed. "Absolutely not! I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page here, you and I. That's all. You see, she was worried about telling you."

Draco smiled. "Yeah, I could tell she was nervous."

"I'd hoped she would tell you everything, but there was a time when I had my doubts."

"You know, it was because of Roxi that I even went to the Ministry that night," Draco said. "She told me that it might be the only chance I would have to tell you that I believed everything. The Minister wasn't going to let me see you in private, that's for sure. So I took a chance and went out there like she suggested." Draco gasped as a realization hit him with such force he almost fell over with its crushing weight. "That'sprobablywhy she was so upset when… my god, I bet she blames herself for what happened. I'll have to tell her it wasn't…"

As Lucius watched his son contemplate Roxi's feelings, he couldn't help but smile. "See, I knew you cared about her," he said in spite of himself.

Draco blushed but made no move to retaliate. "Well, she has done a lot for me in the past few weeks. I cannot help but feel…" Draco trailed off, searching for the right word. "…Grateful," he added at the last moment.

Although Lucius knew that that was _not_ what Draco was going to say, he let it go at that. "So then," he said at last. "All is forgiven?"

Draco paused, squinting at his father for a moment. Lucius was in his power now, at _his _mercy for a change. He could easily destroy him right here and now, simply by saying one word; no. but he knew that that he could not do that. Like Lucius had said, he was not evil. Just as his mother before wasn't. "Yes," he agreed. "I forgive you father. I understand, now that I have heard the whole story, that you were doing what was best for me and mum. I get why you had to lie and keep secrets from me all those years, and I must say, I quite agree with your reasoning behind it. It would have been devastating to find out that Voldemort had been using me to spy on you. I hope you know that I would never willingly betray you like that. You're my family, and the only family I've got."

"I wouldn't say that," added Lucius. "You've still got your aunts and your cousin."

"Yes, but neither of them are Malfoys," said Draco. "When you're gone, I'll be the only one left…" Draco trailed off as tears began to form in his eyes again. "I told you already, dad, I don't want to be left here alone. I can't just watch you die, especially not now that I know the truth about everything. You cant just leave me here like this!" Draco crossed the cell in three very quick strides and knelt down to hug his father. They embraced and both started sobbing together.

That was how Rufus Scrimgeour found them when he came down to the dungeon. "As touching as this is," he said. "I'd appreciate it if you broke it up now. Time's up. You've had your hour, now go!"

As Draco pulled away from him, Lucius whispered a goodbye. But Draco shook his head forcefully. "Not it isn't," he whispered. "I'll get you out of this, you just watch. I _will _find a way to save you." Then he stood up and shook his bangs out if his eyes. Sensing that the Minister's gaze was still upon him, he said aloud; "Goodbye father." Then, without another word; he walked out of the cell, out of the dungeon, out of Hogwarts, and apparated back to the Burrow…


	15. Coming up With a Plan

~ Coming up With a Plan ~

**Draco had slept very little the night before going to see his father. So when he got back, a little after 11am, he went upstairs to his designated room at once. He was so exhausted, both physically and emotionally. After all, the last 5 days had been rather difficult for him to deal with. As he unbuttoned his shirt, he could hardly believe that 5 days was all it had been since his father had turned himself in. It seemed to have happened ages ago. Draco removed his shirt, tossed it on the floor, and collapsed on the bed. And before he could even get under the covers, he had drifted off into another uneasy and restless sleep… **

…**It was almost 3:00 in the afternoon when Molly sent Roxi up to check on Draco. She cracked the door open and, catching a glimpse of bare skin, hurried to shut it again. "S-Sorry Draco. Didn't mean to barge in like that…" When he didn't answer, she poked her head back through the door. Turns out what she had seen was only Draco's back. He had fallen asleep, shirtless, on top of all the covers. **_**Aww, that's so cute, **_**she thought to herself. She carefully crept in the room and, while she was making her way over to the bed, Draco moaned. Roxi froze. Was he waking up? And what would he say to her if he caught her sneaking about in his room like this? He rolled over and started snoring softly again. **_**That was close! **_

**Roxi was almost by the bed when Draco started tossing and turning frantically in his sleep. He was groaning and mumbling. **_**Poor thing. He must be having a nightmare. **_**She place her hand gently on his back and started rubbing it. His body went limp at her touch and he started slumbering peacefully again. As Roxi was rubbing his back, she couldn't help but notice how man scars he had. She wondered it they were all from Voldemort. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice his snoring had stopped. Her hands mover from his back, to his shoulders, and then down his arms, taking note of how incredibly tense and muscular he was. Her fingers ran across the black skull on his upper right arm and stopped. **

**She had noticed this in the hospital while he was unconscious, but Saleena had advised her never to mention it to him. Was it really what she thought it was? As she peered down at the unusual mark, his hand suddenly caught her arm. She jumped and tried to pull away, but his hold on her was firm. **

"**Draco, I-I'm sorry! I thought you were -"**

"**- Sleeping?" he finished. "I **_**was**_** until you came in. What the hell do you think you are doing in here anyways?"**

"**Molly asked me to check up on you. You missed lunch, you see and -"**

"**- And what I went through this morning isn't enough to excuse me from one bloody meal?" He said, interrupting her again.**

"**Draco, I…" She was so caught off guard by his guard by his anger that she didn't know what to say. He still had ahold of her arm and was squeezing her wrist now, cutting off the circulation. "Ouch! Draco, you're hurting me! Let go!" **

**But he didn't let go. He just kept glaring at her. "What the hell were you doing?"**

"**I was just - you were having a bad dream and I was trying to help, honest."**

"**Yeah right," he sneered. "I'll bet you just wanted to have a good look at it, didn't you?"**

"**A good look at what? I don't even know what you're talking about! Draco, LET GO of my arm!" she demanded. He glared at her for a few more seconds, then finally relinquished his hold on her. "Thank you," she said softly, rubbing her wrist with her still good arm. **

"**I'm not stupid, you know," he said. "I know you've seen it. Of coarse, its only natural you should be curious. I just don't go making it a habit of letting everybody know I've got one."**

"**So then," she said carefully. "It is what I think it is."**

**Draco sat up and stuck out his right arm so that they both had a clear view of the small black skull on his arm. "Yeah, it's a Dark Mark; **_**his **_**Mark. I've had it since the day I was born."**

**Roxi mouthed the word **_**wow. **_**Then she said, "but I thought the Dark Mark was usually on a person's left wrist. Why is yours placed differently?"**

"**Didn't you hear what I just said?" he snapped. "I got this the day I was born. My wrist obviously wasn't big enough then, was it? That's why he put it up towards my shoulder. And apparently," he continued, "I was supposed to be some sort of apprentice to the Dark Lord, or whatever, when I came of age. And, for that reason, it is my belief that he wanted me to be singled out from the rest. But I do not know for certain! It's not like I can figure out how his sick mind works!"**

"**So does that make you a Death Eater then?"**

**Draco shook his head. "Not now. My father explained this all to me this morning you see. Apparently it gave the Dark Lord power over me while I was underage. But once I turned 17 and was legally able to make my own decisions, it was nullified. He lost his claim over me the moment I first said No. If only I'd of known sooner that a simple **_**no **_**is all it would take, I might not have…" he trailed off for a moment. "But I was too scared to say no, wasn't I?"**

**Draco was talking more so to himself now than he was to her, so Roxi really didn't quite get what he meant by it. But then, next she added, "I heard that he uses the Marks to summon the Death Eaters to him."**

"**Yeah, he does," Draco confirmed. "And mine used to burn every time he'd summon them, but it doesn't work on me anymore. My father says it's because I have chosen not to, but I'm still a bit foggy on the details myself. It's kind of confusing actually."**

**Roxi paused for a moment before asking her next question, still unsure of how he would react. "So, um… how did it go this morning, with your father I mean?"**

**Draco was silent. Roxi, assuming that she wasn't going to get an answer out of him, had just decided to change the subject when he finally spoke. "It was… difficult. The hardest thing I think I've ever done." Draco shook his head in distress. "I just **_**can't**_** believe this is happening! I can't believe that, within a few days time, my father will be dead. I'll be the only one left after that. I don't want to be the only one left. I don't think I can handle it…"**

"**What do you mean, **_**the only one left,**_**" Roxi asked gently.**

"**Once my father, Lucius Malfoy, is dead," answered Draco, trembling. "I'll be the only Malfoy left alive after that… I just can't handle that kind of pressure and I ...I hate the thought of being -" Draco stopped himself forcefully in the middle of his sentence.**

"**Hate the thought of being **_**what,**_** Draco," Roxi pressed.**

**Draco looked her directly in the eye and whispered in a tone so low she could hardly hear him; "alone."**

**Roxi's heart nearly skipped a beat. "Draco, you're not alone. I am with you," she whispered back. "And I don't plan on going anywhere. So long as I'm around, you will **_**never **_**be alone." She wrapped him in her embrace and was surprised to find that he was actually hugging her back. **

**He cried silently on her shoulders for a few moments before withdrawing slightly and whispering his thanks to her. "You have no idea what that means to me, to hear you say that," he said. Roxi and Draco were only inches apart from one another. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his cheek.**

**As Roxi stared deep into his mesmerizing eyes, she nearly lost herself within them. They slowly leaned in towards each other and, just as they were about to kiss, Molly Weasley came barging through the door. They quickly moved as far apart as they could, without being completely obvious, and stared at Molly on shock and resentment.**

"**Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," she said, completely unaware of exactly **_**how much **_**she had just intruded upon. "But Roxi, you've been up here a fairly long time. I just asked you to come up here and check on him. What's kept you?"**

"**We were talking, Roxi and I," Draco answered. "I didn't mean to keep her, Molly. I had no idea that you were waiting for her."**

"**Well I -" Molly began.**

"**- I was just leaving anyways," Roxi stated overtop of Molly. She was clearly flustered. "Draco's right. We didn't mean to keep you waiting."**

"**No, no, that's nonsense Roxi. No need for you to leave on my account," Molly insisted. "By all means, do finish your conversation. I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen, dear."**

"**No honestly, Molly, we were pretty much done talking, trust me," Roxi blushed. "Lets go." Before leaving the room with Molly, she turned to Draco and said goodbye. **

**Then Draco was left alone with only his thoughts, to contemplate what had just transpired between him and Roxi…**

**~*~**

It was pitch black in the room as Draco threw on his traveling cloak and prepared to leave. He knew what he had to do. He had made up his mind hours ago, spent nearly all day locked up in his room mulling it all over in his head. The plan was simple: he would go there, find him, get the information he needed, then sneak back out before anyone was all the wiser he had been there. But as he was trying to leave, a surprise awaited him in the kitchen.

"And just where the hell do you think you're going, Draco Malfoy?" A light voice rang out in the darkness.

Draco jumped in alarm, but regained himself quickly. "Shhh," he shot quickly, recognizing her voice at once. "Are you _trying _to wake the whole house up, Roxi? What are _you_ doing down here all alone in the dark anyways?"

"Just cant sleep," she began, then quickly added; "hey! I'm the one asking questions here, not you! Now, where are you going this late?"

"I'm going out," he answered vaguely. "Bit of fresh air, you know. I'll be back later." He moved toward the exit, but she rushed over, blocking his way out.

"Draco, _really?_ You don't honestly expect me to believe that?" she mused. "Now tell me the truth. I'm not gonna let you pass until you do!"

They glared at one another for one tense moment. Finally Draco sighed in defeat. "Alright, you caught me," he whispered. "I wasn't just going out for some air. I was leaving… for a mission."

"What do you mean, a mission?"

"Look, I told you earlier; this isn't happening," he said. "I cannot come to terms with this until I have done everything within my power to save him. I _must_ do what is necessary."

"Draco, what the hell are you talking about?"

"The antidote," he answered. "It's the only way to save him, you said so yourself."

"Well yeah," she agreed. "But I also said that it is nearly impossible to make, or perhaps you don't remember that part? The ingredients are incredibly rare! What part of that don't you get? I myself only have 1 out of the 5, and I happen to be a major collector of potion ingredients. You'd be hard pressed to find the other 4, Draco. It's just not possible!"

Draco smiled at her. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing I know someone else who also happens to be a major collector of potion ingredients. Now step aside, Roxi. Please," he added when she still didn't move. "Roxi, I haven't got time for this, damn it, now move!"

Roxi put two & two together. "So that's who you're going to see tonight," she stated.

"Yes," he answered irritably. "If you will ever let me leave!"

"Who is it?" she demanded, ignoring his pushiness.

"That's none of your business!"

"Well, now I'm making it my business," she said. "So tell me!"

Draco growled in frustration. _Why are girls always so difficult? _he wondered to himself. "Alright, fine!" he said to her. "If I tell you, will you let me go?"

Roxi rolled her eyes. "I suppose I might."

"Then it's Professor Snape," he said quickly. "There. Happy? Now move!"

"Wait a minute," she said, grabbing his arm as he tried to push past her. "Isn't Severus Snape a Death Eater? Draco, you cant go see him, he's with Voldemort! Are you nuts? Wait a minute, on second thought, don't answer that. What if you're seen? You could get caught!"

He yanked his arm out of her grasp. "I'm _not _going to get caught, you fool! Don't you think I know better than that?" he spat. "I have a plan. A very good, well thought out, carefully considered plan. It will work, I just know it will. It _has _to!"

"And what is this very good plan of yours, hmm?" She said curiously.

Draco scrutinized her for a moment before answering. "It's Wednesday night," he said simply. "Wednesday & Thursday are his night to patrol the grounds. If I get there at the right time, I can catch him at the gate. I won't even have to go into the mansion. It's a hell of a lot easier to escape when you're on the outside than it is from within, believe me, I know."

"And what are you gonna do once you've found him?"

"I'm going to ask him if he has the ingredients and see if he will help make an antidote of coarse," Draco divulged. "He's my fathers best friend. I know he will help me. This has got to be tearing him up just as much as it is me. He _has_ to help me! I know he'll want to save him."

"But Draco," Roxi asked delicately. "What if he doesn't want to help? Or what's more, what if he _can't _help? He may not even have the ingredients you need."

"He will." Draco said sharply. "He has everything. He _always _has everything."

Roxi took a moment to consider his determination. "I'm going with you," she said at last.

Draco's jaw dropped in shock. "What? No you're not! You can't go, that's absurd!"

"Listen," she began, "this happens to be an area of expertise of mine; Atropha Rickium. You need me there!"

"The hell you say!" he exclaimed. "If you come along, we'll get caught for sure!"

"And what's _that _supposed to mean?"

"Anyone who steps foot on the grounds without a Dark Mark will be detected at once, remember? If you go, you'll just be giving us away!"

"Then I'll wait for you outside the border, where Voldemort can't trace me," she said defiantly. "I have to go because I have something you'll need."

"Like what kind of something?" he demanded.

"Can I trust you to wait here, while I go and get it?" she asked.

Draco sighed. "Fine. Just hurry the hell up!" He plopped down in the nearest chair while Roxi dashed up to her room as quickly and quietly as she could.

She returned a few moments later carrying a thick old potions book. She sat the book down in front of him and opened it to a page near the middle that she had dog-eared. "If you're going to ask Snape to help with making an Atropha Rickium antidote, than you might wanna take this along with you. He's going to want to see it in order to know what he's up against. It's not a very simple thing to make. It is very tedious, and even the slightest mistake can have the most deadly of consequences."

Draco examined to page for a moment and noted how right she was. There were parts of it that not even he understood, but he was certain that Snape could do it. "Well then, I'll just take this and be going."

Roxi snapped the book shut and picked it up immediately. "I don't think so," she said tauntingly. "This book doesn't go anywhere without me. It's extremely valuable, you see."

"I've already told you why you cant go," he said, annoyed.

Roxi rolled her eyes. "And I have already told you why I _am _going to go. So there's no point in arguing with me on this, Draco. All you're doing now is wasting valuable time!"

"Hump!" Draco rose from the chair and stared her directly in the eye. He had to admit; despite his complete annoyance with her right now, he admired her persistence.

Roxi faltered under his gaze for a moment, but she still stood her ground with confidence, staring directly back at him, smiling as she did so. She knew that this was a battle she was going to win.

"Fine," Draco said after what seemed like hours. "You can come. Whatever. I don't even care anymore. Lets just get the hell out of here."

Roxi's smile grew bigger as she did a victory dance inside her head. "After you," she said, stepping out of his way at last. Once they were far enough away from the house, Draco took her hand, Roxi blushing as he did so, and he apparated them directly into the small forest of trees near the gate of the Riddle house…

**~*~**

It was pitch black in the cluster of trees, but Draco didn't dare light his wand, for fear of being seen. He knew his way around the area well enough to get where he needed to be. He took Roxi by the hand and led her through to the front clearing. From where they were standing, they could see the iron entrance gates as plain as day. And sure enough, there behind it, was Severus Snape, pacing back and forth.

Excitement welled up in Draco as he realized that this might actually work. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. There were other Death Eaters on guard, but none of them were close enough to Snape to pose a threat to his plan. He turned to Roxi, "you stay here," he whispered. "I'll be right back. If something goes wrong, well I would tell you to run, but I know you won't. So back me up, got it?" She smiled and nodded her acceptance.

Draco drew his hood low over his face and stepped out into the clearing, away from the cover of the trees. He marched purposefully towards the gate and didn't stop when he reached them. Instead, he passed through the iron bars as if they weren't even there. Severus had noticed him approaching several strides ahead of time, and had stopped to watch the newcomer draw closer. Only when he was feet away from him did Snape realize who it was.

Draco stopped directly in front of him and looked him in the eye. "Professor," he said smoothly.

Snape quickly glanced around to see what the others were doing. Only one had stopped to watch them so far. "Are you mad?" he hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I had to come, sir," he said in a tone that was barely above a whisper. "I had to see you because, well, I need your help. There is no other way!"

"Did you at least come alone?" Snape demanded.

Draco shook his head. "No, Roxi is here. I didn't want her to come, but she insisted."

"Well then, we surely can't talk here, Draco" Snape insisted. "You need to get away from here before you are discovered. You should not have come!"

"Professor, _please,_" Draco pleaded. "It's about my father, this is important!"

Snape frowned at him for a moment before continuing. He could not deny, however, that he _was_ curious about what had happened to Lucius. "Alright, fine. Meet me at the trap door. Do not come through it until I have opened it. We'll talk there. Roxi should know where it is if you can't remember. Give me ten minutes. If I have not arrived by then, _run! _Get as far away from here as possible. Got it?"

Draco nodded. "Yes sir, thank you!"

As he started to turn to leave, Snape hissed; "_wait! _I need to make a diversion so you can leave unnoticed." Then he took a deep breath and started yelling loud enough for those nearby to hear. "And I don't care what your excuse it, you hear me? The Dark Lord specifically asked _you _to do it! And I believe he said for you not to come back until the job was finished, did he not?" Draco nodded, playing along. "Well then, what the hell are you doing back here for, if its not done yet? I outta turn you in to him this instant! You had better get back out there, boy! And this time, _don't _come back here until it is finished!" From out of the corner of his eye, Snape saw Avery approaching. "Now go!"he whispered urgently to Draco.

After Draco was safely out of the gate, he turned to face the approaching Death Eater. "Nothing to worry about Avery," he said dismissingly. "Just another one of the young ones panicking again, nothing unusual."

Avery frowned. "I don't know why he keeps bringing 'em in like that. They're all weak!"

"Yes, well it is not for us to question Avery," said Snape. "I am sure the Dark Lord has his reasons for it. Now, since you're over here, would you mind taking the gate for a few minutes? I need to go send him a message and give Weasley his break."

"Absolutely Severus," Avery agreed. "Take your time." Snape thanked him and hurried off to the basement where he knew Draco and Roxi would be waiting for him.

As he marched down the stairs, Percy Weasly greeted him. "Oh, its you Snape," he said. "To what do I owe this pleasure." The bitterness in Percy's voice was unmistakable, as he was making no attempts to hide it.

"Break," Snape said shortly.

"What?" Percy protested. "No! My break is not for another hour yet! I just started this post not 40 minutes ago."

"I don't care," Snape responded coldly. "If you want to have any break tonight at all, you will take it now."

"Oh yeah?" Percy challenged. "Says who?"

"Says me," he answered back. "The Dark Lord is away tonight, and he has left _me_ in charge. Now surely you would not like me to report back to him that I received any resistance from you, would you?"

"N-No Severus, I would not," he said, immediately switching his tone to a more respectful one.

Snape noticed it too, and he couldn't help but smile. "As I am sure you know, Weasley, this post down here is beneath me. I have other, more important things to be attending to right now than a prisonerles prison. So you see, I am doing you a huge favor right now."

"Yes, Severus, I know that," he said. "And I thank you for it."

"Well then, in order to show your thanks to me, you will take your break right now, on my time, rather than your own."

"Yes, Severus, I will," agreed Percy and he turned to leave.

"Weasley," Snape called out. Percy froze, his back to him now. "15 minutes. I'm a busy man, so you'd better not be late. _Don't_ make me come after you." Percy nodded and continued up the steps without another word.

As soon as he was gone, Snape rushed over to the old rug, magicked it aside, and flung open the trap door that was hidden beneath it. There was Roxi and Draco, waiting for him. Knowing that Roxi was afraid of heights, he extended a hand to help her climb up first, then he turned to help Draco. As soon as he had Draco's hand within his own, he yanked him up out of the hole in the ground, spun him around to face him, grabbed him by his shirt collar, and backed him up, pinning him up against the closest wall.

"Now that we can talk freely," he started. "What the hell were you thinking, Draco? Are you crazy?" Draco was squeezing his eyes shut and breathing deeply, his face was turned away from him. "Answer me," Snape shouted, pressing Draco into the wall more.

Draco winced and started gasping for air. And a second later, there was a wand pointed in Snape's face. He turned around to face it. "Let. Him. Go." Roxi was now glaring at Snape. "Now!" she demanded. Snape calmly released his hold on Draco. "Are _you _crazy?"

Snape smiled at her. "You must be Roxi," he said. "I've heard a great deal about you. Nice to finally put a face with the name."

"And you must be Snape," she shot back. "What the hell is wrong with you? That boy _just _got out of the hospital and here you are, throwing him up against walls like it's nothing!"

Snape gaped at her, clearly shocked. "What? I hadn't heard _any _of that!" He turned back to Draco who was still catching his breath and clenching his stomach. "Draco, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. What happened?"

"It's ok sir," he said weakly. "It's nothing, I'm fine. Really," he added in response to the skeptical looks he was now getting. He took his hand off his stomach and stood up tall to face them. His face, however, still showed signs of his discomfort.

"Draco, why were you in the -"

"It doesn't matter, that's not why we're here," he shot. "We heard you talking to Percy and we only have 15 minutes, remember?"

Snape nodded. "You're right. Why are you here then? You said you needed my help with something, something about your father. What is it? Is Lucius alright?"

"Haven't you heard?" asked Roxi.

"No!" he exclaimed. "I haven't heard anything other than what they were planning to do to him that night at the ministry, which was his idea, I'm sure of it. But I couldn't tell you what happened after, or what they're doing with him right now, if he even survived it."

"Oh he survived it alright," Roxi stated. "But only because that crazy idiot stabbed Draco instead of Lucius."

"WHAT? Draco, you were _stabbed?_ By who?" Snape demanded.

"I never got his name," Draco answered. "And it doesn't matter. I told you, that is_ not _what we came here to discus!"

"Alright_, _alright," said Snape. "What is it then? If Lucius survived, what are they doing with him now?"

Draco took a deep breath. "The minister has decided to but my father to death by poison. They are going to give it to him on Friday evening at 6:00. It's some new poison they've just discovered, called _Atropha Rickium._ Have you heard of it sir?"

Severus gasped, shock registering on every inch of his face. It was obvious that he haddefinitely heard that name before. "My god," he said. "Where did the Minister come up with the idea for that?"

Draco exchanged glances with Roxi, who quickly said; "oh, we haven't got time to get into all the details. 15 minutes, remember?" she chuckled nervously.

"Right," said Draco with a nod. "Anyways, after seeing him today, I decided that I cannot just sit back and let this happen. I will not watch my father die… So I came here. You're the only one who can help him, professor. You have to make the antidote!"

"Draco, even if I could, I don't see how we would pull it off. We would need the recipe and instructions. The ingredients alone, I know, are _very_ rare. Then, we would need a place to brew it, because we certainly wouldn't get away with it here. And we would have to find some way of getting Lucius to that location." He shook his head slowly. "I just don't know if we can."

"Well as for the recipe and instructions," said Roxi, pulling out the page which she had ripped put of her potions book. "I have them right here." She handed the paper over to Snape.

The room was silent as Snape intently examined the instructions for a moment. "This is quite specific, and _quite _complicated," he said at last.

"I know," said Roxi. "And I have been _trying _to tell him that but -"

"- But I think it is doable," he said, speaking over Roxi. "There's only one problem though. I only have 4 of the 5 main ingredients."

"Really?" she asked eagerly, temporarily forgetting that he had just rudely cut her off moments ago. "Which one are you missing?"

Snape looked back down at the list. "Agrimonia," he answered.

Roxi gasped, her face lighting up_. _"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "I have some fresh Agrimonia in my stores that you can have! Collectively, now we have all 5!" She turned back to Draco. "I never would have thought… and I cant believe I'm saying this, but it _might_ be possible. We may be able to make the antidote now!"

Draco's eyes lit up with hope. "Yeah, and as for a place to brew it at," he said, addressing Snape. "We could always do it at the manor. I have permission to go back there, I've _had _it actually since they gave me back my freedom. I just chose not to go back because, well… because it would just be… you know."

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean," said Snape. He knew the reason Draco didn't want to go back home was because all of Narcissa's belongings were still there. "And it's a very good idea, but how will we get Lucius there?"

"Well, he is being kept at Hogwarts right now." Snape started at this news, but Draco kept on. "But I don't think McGonagall's too keen on letting them poison him in the school. So they _may _move him to Azkaban before they give it to him."

"And if they do that, it will be no problem moving him out once they've poisoned him," said a confident Roxi.

"How do you work that out?" asked Snape.

"Because I have met the man who is in charge at Azkaban right now," said Roxi. "His name is Annias, and trust me, he is a complete moron! I don't think it would be very hard to get him out of the way once to poison has been administered."

Snape considered her for a moment. "Are you positive?"

"Oh yeah, absolutely," she said confidently.

"Hmmm…" Snape was now carefully considering all the options. "I'm still going to have to think about this."

"Please sir," pleaded Draco. "He's your best friend. You must help him, _please. _If not for him, then do it for me. I _need _my father. He shouldn't have to die like this!"

As Snape looked at Draco, he was instantly reminded of Narcissa. He couldn't help but remember how desperate she was the day she came knocking on his doorstep, begging for him to help her son. And now that same boy, whom he had made the Unbreakable Vow to protect, was standing before him, pleading for help to protect his father. One thing was certain; the Malfoys may not care too much about other people, but they _definitely _care for each other.

"Please," Draco repeated.

After what seemed like hours, Snape finally said; "Alright, I'm in. I'll do it."

"Oh my god, sir, thank you!" exclaimed Draco. "Thank you so much!"

"But we're going to have to have some rules," he added. "And a plan. And not just any plan, a _good_ plan."

"Absolutely, sir, whatever you say, sir," Draco replied gratefully.

Snape began plotting at once. "Draco, it must be up to you to make sure they move your father to Azkaban that night, because it will be impossible to get him out of Hogwarts unnoticed. Roxi, it will be your job to get the guard at Azkaban out of the way, since you're the one who knows what he is like. Once he is out of the way, you will need to apparate Lucius to the Manor. Draco, in order for her to do that though, you will have to show her where it is ahead of time. And, if you will go and unlock it ahead of time, I will go to Malfoy Manor and wait for you guys there. The directions say that brewing time is estimated at 8 hours, so I think we should all plan to meet there, with Lucius, by no later that 10:00 that night. If they're administering the poison to him at 6:00pm, then that means the antidote cannot be given until at least 6:00am. So as long as we get started by 10, it should be done on time, and Lucius won't have to suffer for longer than it is necessary. Got it?"

As Percy was coming back from his break, he heard voices coming from down in the basement. He approached the door slowly and pressed his ear up against it to better hear what was being said…

Roxi had just finished summing up the plan. "And then we can give Lucius the antidote at 6am, right?"

"Correct," said Snape.

"And you're _sure _you can make it?" Roxi asked him again.

"Positive," Snape answered confidently. "You just bring me what you have, and I'll be sure to have everything else waiting and ready to go when you get there."

"So you'll meet us at the manor then?" Draco asked doubtfully.

"You can count on it Draco," he assured. "I promise, I'll be there."

Draco took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Well then, that settles it then," he said. "Thank you so much professor."

"Draco, how many time do I have to tell you, we're not in school anymore," Snape chuckled. "You can call me by my name you know, it's perfectly ok with me."

_That _got a smile out of him. Finally. "I know that, sir. But calling you Severus after all this time would just be weird."

Roxi laughed and Severus rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say Draco," he laughed. "You two had better be heading back now. Percy will be here any minute now. And not only that, but the Dark Lord will be back soon too."

"Right," Roxi said with a nod. "See you Friday?"

"You can count on it," he said.

"Thank you again sir," Draco added.

"No need to keep thanking me, Draco," he replied modestly. "After all, it's like you said; Lucius is my best friend. Therefore I must help him in whatever way I can. Now go, both of you!" he said, urging them back down through the trap door. "And be careful! I will see the both of you in 2 days."


End file.
